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Iconic pop artist remembered. As reported on Wednesday, December 28, American James
Rizzi has passed away at the age of 61. Known internationally for a style that was born
through combining painting and printmaking with the three-dimensional elements of sculpture,
Mr. Rizzi’s colorful and cartoon-like creations have graced everything from buildings and
cars like the Volkswagen Beetle to a Lufthansa aircraft, which he decorated with stars, birds
and travelers. He also created German postage stamps, memorable Japanese train ads and a
tourist guide to New York City, USA, along with being the official artist for the 1996
US Summer Olympics, the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and the World Cup soccer games
in France. In Germany, a school in Duisberg is named for him, while the Rizzi Dome was
unveiled in one of Europe’s largest shopping malls in Oberhausen, and his office building
in Braunschweig was dubbed the Happy Rizzi House. Alexander Lieventhal, an executive
at the company that manages and sells Mr. Rizzi’s art, said, “With his art, ... any
child can look at it and understand what he’s trying to convey: a celebration of life.”
Our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Mr. James Rizzi, whose gifted
artistic contributions will continue to uplift viewers worldwide. May his soul rest serenely
in the love and light of the Divine�