Meet Southern California Artist Robb Havassy

Southern California artist Robb Havassy has quickly become one the leading creative voices within the surf culture, having created art and collaborated with many of the surf industry’s biggest brands, most prominent collectors and most impactive environmental and socially conscious non-profit organizations. Most recently Havassy has created and published "Surf Story", an incomparable, 440 page collection of surf art and surf stories by almost 100 of iconic artists, writers and surfers.  “Surf Story” the book is one part of a multi-media, grass-roots movement of creative and iconic surfers which includes art installations, exhibitions, video documentaries and live public artist’s studios featuring some of the greatest surf artists in the world.



 Onetime international fashion model for the likes of Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Christian Dior and Armani,  Havassy, began his artistic life in 1996 at 26 years of age, after receiving a beginner’s art kit as a gift.  After graduating with a degree in Psychology from UC Irvine in 1993, art was the last thing on his mind.  Until that point, Havassy’s artistic expressions had been limited to taking photographs during his world travels as well as painting his surfboards.    As of 2010, after fourteen years and more than 2000 paintings and drawings, the success that followed Havassy’s first small scale works has been manifold, garnering him both national and international acclaim.  His brilliant use of color as well as his eclectic mix of style, motion and inspirational subject matter has  created numerous avenues to pursue his creativity.  Havassy’s art has grown to include not only traditional paintings, but sculpture, photography, film, apparel, furniture and architectural design.  In addition to being one of the surf culture’s most celebrated and collected artists, it is his refreshingly original depictions of women, landscapes, flowers, children and animals, that have garnered him the most attention.  Sports portraits are also something Havassy is known for and include epic likenesses of Ben Hogan, Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, to name a few.  Havassy’s work was featured as the official cover art for the 2005 AT&T Pebble Pro-Am, one of PGA golf’s most popular events and one known to have featured some of the world’s most prominent sports artists.  Having a passion to make a positive difference in the world, Havassy has balanced his commercial success with a devotion to social and environmental concerns. Over the past decade and as of 2009 Havassy has helped raise more than $150,000 in philanthropic contributions with his continuing support of and collaboration with the Surfrider Foundation, Heal the Bay, Surf Aid International, numerous wildlife preservation groups as well as dozens of other domestic and international non-profit organizations.  For more info:  HavassyArt.com and SURFSTORYPROJECT.com
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