Humphrey Ocean RA (b. 1951)
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, Sims Reed Gallery, London in 2018; Birds, Cars and Chairs at the Royal Academy of Arts, 2019.
Other projects include a book with anthropologist Stephen Nugent Big Mouth: The Amazon Speaks about their visit to Northern Brazil; Today’s Nude with Artangel in 2009; and Art Everywhere with the Art Fund in 2013 (one of Britain’s 57 favourite paintings across the country on billboards). In 2016 he wrote and presented The Essay for BBC Radio 3 and was made an Honorary Doctor by the University of Kent. In 2018 he showed a Dot Book in Drawing Together at the Courtauld Gallery and a new sculpture Natural History at Royal Academy of Arts in From Life. A major monograph Humphrey Ocean with an essay by Ben Thomas was published by the Royal Academy in 2019, as well as Humphrey Ocean: A Book of Birds. He also appeared on BBC Radio 4 Start the Week: Freud, Hogarth, Ocean. In 2020 he showed in Me, Myself and I at Christine König Galerie, Vienna.
He was the Royal Academy’s Professor of Perspective from 2012-2020.
Humphrey Ocean lives and works in London.
Profile
Born: 1951 in Pulborough, Sussex, England, United Kingdom
Nationality: British
Elected RA: 26 May 2004
Professor of Perspective: 2012 - 2020
Gender: Male
Works by Humphrey Ocean in the RA Collection
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Works associated with Humphrey Ocean in the RA Collection
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Gallery
Humphrey Ocean RA, Alice, 2016.
Humphrey Ocean RA, Geoffrey, 2010.
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Humphrey Ocean RA, Wall of Sound, 2014.
Humphrey Ocean RA, After Dark, 2011.
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Humphrey Ocean RA - selected CV
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Recent solo exhibitions
2019 Birds, Cars and Chairs, Royal Academy of Arts, London
2018 I’ve No Idea Either, Sims Reed Gallery, London
2013 A handbook of modern life, National Portrait Gallery London
2012 Now and Then, Canterbury Christ Church University
2011 Here and There, Jesus College, Cambridge
2009 Perfectly Ordinary, Sidney Cooper Gallery, Canterbury Christ Church University
2003 how’s my driving, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London
1999 The Painter’s Eye, National Portrait Gallery, London
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
1997 urbasuburba, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester
1991 Double-Portrait, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, Tate Liverpool, Whitechapel Gallery, London, The Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, Castle Museum, Norwich -
Selected collections
British Council
Bruges-Zeebrugge Port Authority
Christ Church, Oxford
Ferens Art Gallery, Hull
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
Hertford College, Oxford
Graves Gallery, Sheffield
Imperial War Museum, London
National Maritime Museum, London
National Portrait Gallery, London
Pallant House Gallery, Chichester
Queen Mary College, London
Royal Library, Windsor Castle
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
Royal Society of Chemistry
St John’s College, Cambridge
Jesus College, Cambridge
South London Gallery
Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh
University of Birmingham
Victoria & Albert Museum
The Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester
Wolverhampton Art Gallery
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Art Sales at the RA
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Yellow Chair
As part of the exhibition Humphrey Ocean RA: Birds, Cars and Chairs, this work is on show in the Keeper’s House at the Royal Academy of Arts, London
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After Dark
Intensely atmospheric, After Dark is the first woodblock Humphrey Ocean RA made with RA Editions. Its house set at night is a recurring image for the artist.
Ocean is very much a convert to print. Ten years ago, the artist began work on his first small box-set of aquatints, based on his Dot Book drawings and his larger Love Chair etchings. Today, the medium is one of his favourite forms of expression.
The print is available to buy through Art Sales at the RA.
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