Breon O’Casey
Breon O’Casey was an artist and sculptor who immersed himself fully in the vibrant arts scene in St Ives in the middle of the 20th Century. He was as dedicated to his craft as to his adopted home of Cornwall.
Breon O’Casey had lived and studied in Cornwall for well over fifty years. Breon O’Casey arrived in St Ives in the late 1950s. He was an assistant to Dennis Mitchell from 1959-1961 and to Dame Barbara Hepworth from 1961-1963. Mitchell, Hepworth, and Bernard Leach were amongst those most inspirational to Breon O’Casey. His work is powerful, poetic and the simplicity is unrivalled. Breon O’Casey died at age 83, he was one of the last survivors of two great traditions. As an artist, he was an important figure in the St Ives school, whose leading lights included Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and Bernard Leach.
Breon O’Casey’s work is characterised by simple forms and lines, and a very personal set of imagery. Birds, animals and human figures are pared down to their very essence, giving them a primitive and mystical presence.
