John O'Hare was born in Munich, Germany, where he spent his early childhood. He gained experience with metal-working at an early age by assisting his father, a blacksmith by trade. In the U.S., O'Hare studied art and architecture at the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California, and continued his formal studies at CuestaCollege and Sonoma State University.

O'Hare's career as an artist includes years of painting and sculpture which have both greatly influenced his furniture work. Another key influence for him was the decade he spent fishing in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea. This experience brought him into intimate contact with the forces of nature and deepened his perception of natural forms. He was able to carry out this understanding through his work in architectural metal.

O'Hare's current work in hand-forged iron, both sculptural furniture and pure sculptural forms, draws up on images of plant and animal life and the mysteries of life underwater along with the occasional use of real objects found in nature. O'Hare's creativity springs from constantly working with nature and forming a relationship with it. He has developed an awareness of the instinctive aspect of his art, the way in which he finds where each shape belongs in a particular piece.

Through working with clients, O'Hare is often led to an original concept and the evolution of a new piece. He enjoys the challenge of drawing forth a client's inner images and actualizing those images in a new design.

O'Hare's work is found in private and corporate collections across the country.