Humphrey Ocean studied at Canterbury College of Art from 1970 to 1973. During that time, he played bass with Kilburn and the Highroads, supporting The Who on their 1973 Christmas Tour. His first major solo exhibition in 1984 at the National Portrait Gallery, London was followed by shows at Tate Liverpool, Whitechapel Gallery, London and, in 2003, how’s my driving at Dulwich Picture Gallery, London. In 2013 his series of new portraits, A handbook of modern life, was shown at the National Portrait Gallery; I’ve No Idea Either at Sims Reed Gallery, London, 2018; Birds, Cars and Chairs at Royal Academy of Arts, 2019. Fresh as Paint, Ocean’s personal choice of objects and art from the Eton College Collections, was shown in 2022 at David Verey Gallery, Eton. In 2024 That was close at DKUK, Peckham and Das Bild und sein Buch at Christine König Chapter III, Vienna.

Other projects include Big Mouth: The Amazon Speaks, a book with anthropologist Stephen Nugent about their visit to Northern Brazil; in 2007 his etching Black Love Chair was used for the cover of the Paul McCartney album Memory Almost Full; in 2009, Today’s Nude with Artangel; in 2013 his painting Lord Volvo and his Estate was one of Britain’s 57 favourite paintings displayed on billboards across the country in Art Everywhere by Art Fund. He was made an Honorary Doctor by Canterbury Christ Church University in 2012 and by the University of Kent in 2015. In 2016 he wrote and presented The Essay for BBC Radio 3. In 2019 a major monograph Humphrey Ocean with an essay by Ben Thomas was published by the Royal Academy, as well as Humphrey Ocean: A Book of Birds. In 2022 seven works were acquired by The British Museum and in 2023 a portrait on paper was acquired by Government Art Collection.

He was the Royal Academy’s Professor of Perspective from 2012-2020.

Humphrey Ocean lives and works in London.