Oliver Whitehead lives and works in Helsinki since 1973.
He studied at Hornsey College of Art, London, 1967-70, then at the Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki in 1970-71.

He taught at the Helsinki Academy of Fine Arts in 1987-1997.

Whitehead is active in various art fields, such as live cinema, photography, installation, drawing, painting, graphics, film, video, poetry.

He is Catalysti honorary member since 2018.