
Mike O'Connor
Motorsport Sculpture | Innovation & Heritage | Sound Made Visible
Mike O’Connor is a sculptural artist and founder of RESS, with over a decade of immersion in the world of Formula One. A former F1 demonstration driver, he went on to acquire and preserve the remains of the Benetton F1 team along with a significant collection from Sauber - safeguarding a vital chapter of the sport’s engineering heritage. Today, under his creative banner Suffolk & Fast, he transforms authentic race-used components into contemporary sculptures that embody the energy, history, and spirit of Formula One at its pinnacle.
Working exclusively with genuine V10 and V8 exhaust systems, O’Connor reimagines these feats of precision engineering as elegant, resonant forms. Each piece is hand-polished, mounted and often finished with 24-carat detailing - a nod to the golden era of motorsport and the magnificent noise that once defined it. His debut exhibition, The Noise, opened on Cork Street, Mayfair, featuring Ferrari exhaust systems from the 2012 season. The entire collection sold out within months, establishing O’Connor as a bold new voice in automotive art.
His sculptures have since been created from championship-winning machinery - including systems from Michael Schumacher’s 1995 Benetton B195 and the iconic EJ11 Jordan F1 - and exhibited at the Monaco and Silverstone Grands Prix, F1 The Exhibition in Madrid, and F1 Arcade in London. Each work carries full provenance and certification, ensuring that its story is as authentic as the metal itself.
Beyond sculpture, O’Connor extends his vision through RESS Jewellery, crafting fine pieces from genuine race-used materials. Whether expressed in metal, form, or wearable design, his philosophy remains constant: to distil the speed, innovation, and emotion of Formula One into timeless works of art.
Every Suffolk & Fast creation celebrates the moment when technology becomes beauty - when the roar of an engine is captured, not in motion, but in memory.
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