Breon O'Casey was a prolific artist and an important figure in 20th Century British art, known for his use of simple, nature inspired motifs and geometric shapes. Over his lifetime he mastered a wealth of artistic disciplines and was widely respected as a painter, printmaker, sculptor, weaver and jewellery maker. He worked for many years at his studio on Porthmeor Beach and is among St Ives most influential and internationally recognized artists.
Breon O'Casey was born in 1928, the son of the Irish playwright, Sean O'Casey. After National Service he attended the Anglo-French Art School, a small art school in St John's Wood, London. In 1959, inspired by a film about naïve painter Alfred Wallis, O'Casey moved to St Ives, and worked initially as assistant to sculptor Denis Mitchell, and then Barbara Hepworth, both of whom had a significant influence on the development of his own work. He lived in Cornwall until his death in 2011.