Humphrey Ocean RA in conversation with William Feaver

Humphrey Ocean paints a wide range of subject matter in particular tones whose compositional colour blocking creates a particularly eerie light. His recent series of portraits of visitors to his studio are represented in a major solo exhibition at The National Portrait Gallery, ‘A handbook of modern life’, which ran from November 2012 - September 2013. These elongated figures in gouache allow the imagery and subject matter to run away with itself. In addition to painting, Ocean has worked on a range of artist books as well as printmaking. He is a Royal Academician and Deputy Chair of the Academic Board at the Royal Drawing School.