Breon O’Casey

Breon O’Casey was an influential figure within the St. Ives school, alongside prominent artists such as Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, and Bernard Leach. He began his career working as an assistant to Denis Mitchell and Barbara Hepworth in St. Ives, while simultaneously developing his own practice as a painter, jeweller, weaver, and eventually a sculptor. O’Casey’s work is defined by its use of simple shapes and lines, along with a distinct personal visual language. His depictions of birds, animals, and human forms are distilled to their most essential elements, giving them a timeless, almost mystical quality.

His remarkable ability to master a wide range of materials and techniques set him apart. Later in life, he was able to maintain separate studios for each of his disciplines. Speaking about his painting process—a perspective that extended across all his creative work—O’Casey said:

“I am an abstract painter, closer in my work to the traditional still life painter than to the landscape artist. That is, I work best within the confines of the studio, interpreting the world through pots and pans, apples and oranges—or rather, circles, triangles, and squares—rather than through fields, trees, and skies. Looking out at the vast, endless landscape is, for me, too overwhelming to capture on paper. So I close the door and work in my windowless studio.”

Born in London, Breon O’Casey was the son of the renowned Irish playwright Seán O’Casey. His Irish heritage remained significant throughout his life, as did the artistic influence and encouragement of his father. O’Casey exhibited widely, and his work is held in numerous permanent collections.