Breon O’Casey was a significant member of the St. Ives school whose leading figures included Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and Bernard Leach. He began his working career as an assistant to Denis Mitchell and Barbara Hepworth in St. Ives, whilst setting himself up as a painter, jeweller, weaver, and later sculptor. 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.