Humphrey Ocean studied at Canterbury Art School from 1970 to 1973 during which time he played bass with Kilburn and the Highroads which supported The Who on their 1973 Christmas Tour. Humphrey Ocean had his first major solo exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, London in 1984. He has since shown at the Tate Liverpool and the Whitechapel Art Gallery, London. In 2002 he was artist in residence at Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, the culmination of which was an exhibition of his work, how`s my driving. This exhibition was inspired by the Dulwich Gallery`s collection of 17th century Dutch genre paintings. Many of his portrait commissions are in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London. He is Visiting Professor of Drawing and Painting at Camberwell College of Art, London.

Recent solo exhibitions
2003 Dulwich Picture Gallery, London
1999 National Portrait Gallery, London
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
1997 Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester
1991 Dulwich Picture Gallery, London
Tate Gallery, Liverpool
Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester
Castle Museum, Norwich
Public collections
British Council
Bruges-Zeebrugge Port Authority
Christ Church, Oxford
Ferens Art Gallery, Hull
Hertford College, Oxford
Imperial War Museum, London
National Maritime Museum, London
National Portrait Gallery, London
Queen Mary College, London
Royal Library, Windsor Castle
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Royal Society of Chemistry
St John`s College, Cambridge
South London Gallery
Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh
University of Birmingham
Victoria & Albert Museum
The Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester
Wolverhampton Art Gallery