Artist Biography
Rick Rietveld, a southern California native, is best known for his achievements as an artist, innovator and entrepreneur. Since he began surfing in 1971, Rick has been heavily influenced by the surfing lifestyle. Many of his creations are thematically related to the ocean or contain surfing-related imagery. Likewise, he also incorporates other influences, such as surrealism, into his works. Rick's amazing artwork has brought him widespread acclaim and tremendous success in the surfwear industry.
After studying at the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, Rick co-founded the popular surfwear company, Maui & Sons in 1980. His artwork launched the success of the company’s image and popular appeal. Throughout his 10-year stay at Maui & Sons, he held the position of Creative Director. He was the creative talent behind their logo, artwork and imagery the company became famous for. After leaving Maui & Sons, Rick created the artwork for many of the top surfwear companies.
Rick designed the artwork for Quiksilver's Eddie Aikau and G-Land surf contests. Other honors include the 1986 Orange County Advertising Federation Award of Excellence for a series of illustrated advertisements, which appeared in Surfer and Surfing Magazine. Also included is the 1988 OBIE Award for Creative Excellence and the 1988 Merit Award in Clothing, Apparel and Accessories. In 1998, he was commissioned to create and design the poster and t-shirt graphics for the Triple Crown of Surfing. He also received a Certificate of Excellence from the Print's Regional Design Annual for his famous t-shirt design, XXXtra Strength.
In 1995, Rick co-founded his own Art Driven surfwear company, RIETVELD USA, which consists of two distinct clothing collections: RIETVELD, a men’s line and SEA ANGEL, a junior label. Rick's graphics and illustrations are the featured designs in both brands. His product lines and other artwork are published and marketed domestically and internationally.