Breon O’Casey (b. 1928) was born in London. He studied at the Anglo-French Art Centre from 1948 to 1950, and was subsequently an assistant to sculptors Denis Mitchell (1959-61) and Barbara Hepworth (1961-63). He is closely linked to the St Ives school through his friendship with its leading artists, who were his contemporaries. Exhibitions of his work have been held in Britain, the United States and elsewhere, and his sculptures, prints and writings have appeared in numerous publications. He lives and works in Cornwall.
The artist writes: ‘When I was asked to make a medal, I had no idea how to go about it. Luckily the definition of “medal” was very tolerant; but even so the prospect was daunting. I had to put my thinking cap on.
‘I eventually got some pebbles from the beach, dipped them into molten wax several times to build up a layer of wax, shaped them a bit, and then, when they were hard, carved lines into them. Whether the result is any good is not for me to say; and why these lines and not others, I have no idea; the idea is there but can’t be translated into words.’