Brighton Artist Simon David Eden Returns with Powerful Fringe

Exhibition Addressing Brotherhood, Creativity and Male Mental Health.

As suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under 50, Brighton artist uses Fringe platform to spark urgent conversation.

Brighton-born artist and Royal College of Art alumnus Simon David Eden MA (Dist.) returns to the city this May as part of Brighton Fringe 2026 with his first solo exhibition in nearly two decades, Shadow Light: Songs My Brother Taught Me.

More than an art exhibition, Shadow Light opens an important cultural conversation about men’s mental health, brotherhood, grief, and the urgent need for connection in the face of rising male suicide rates in the UK.

According to the O0ice for National Statistics, suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under 50 in the UK, with men accounting for around three quarters of all suicide deaths. Despite growing awareness, stigma and isolation continue to prevent many men from seeking support.

Eden’s exhibition explores themes of memory, masculinity, vulnerability and resilience through abstract fine art, autofiction and visual storytelling. The work reflects on the formative influence of brotherhood, both literal and symbolic, and the emotional inheritance passed between men.

Born and raised in Moulsecoomb, Eden began creating comics at just ten years old before progressing into surrealist poetry, songwriting and performance art. In 1979, he collaborated with guitarist Patrick Coghlan on the cult record PS: Surrealism, which attracted the attention of Royal College of Art professor Richard Ross and British surrealism pioneer Roland Penrose. This led to an invitation to attend the first UK screening of Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí’s once-banned cinematic masterpiece L’Age d’Or at the ICA in 1980.

Eden went on to study at the Royal College of Art film school on a Goldcrest Films scholarship, producing several 16mm short films including La Boule, which won a BAFTA. Encouraged by legendary director Fred Zinnemann, he pursued a career in screenwriting, later collaborating with J.G. Ballard and writing award-winning television drama and feature films commissioned by Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures.

A true creative polymath, Eden’s work spans fine art, theatre, literature, film and music.

He has also dedicated significant time to mentoring young creatives from underrepresented communities through Creative Access, teaching playwrighting at Chichester Festival Theatre, and delivering free creative writing workshops to Brighton’s rough sleeper community through Word on the Street.

With Shadow Light, Eden reflects on how the arts can provide men with a vital language for expression, one that goes beyond traditional expectations of stoicism. Creative practice, whether visual art, writing, music or performance, can o`er men space to process emotion, connect with others, and build supportive communities.

Simon David Eden comments:

“Art allows us to confront what we struggle to articulate. Creativity can be a form of survival, a voice to breach the silence, a way of making meaning from loss, and a powerful tool to foster connection by shining a light into the darkest shadows.”

As part of Brighton Fringe, England’s largest open-access arts festival, the exhibition aims not only to showcase powerful new work, but also to encourage dialogue about men supporting one another and seeking help from charities and peer networks when needed.

Shadow Light: Songs My Brother Taught Me marks Eden’s first solo exhibition since 2006. His abstract fine art is held in private collections worldwide, with previous exhibitions including Square One Gallery (London), Cloisters (London), Art International (Bahamas), and the Tsinghua Academy of Arts (Beijing).

Event Details & Tickets

Shadow Light: Songs My Brother Taught Me will take place this May as part of Brighton Fringe. Members of the public are encouraged to attend, experience the work first-hand, and join the wider conversation about men’s mental health, creativity and connection.

Free tickets and full event details are available via Eventbrite here.