Lassen, Chris (1956 – )

Hawaiian surfer-artist best known for his swirling, vividly colored oil or acrylic seascapes, many of them dense with animals, stars, planets, coral fans, and breaking waves. Lassen was born (1956) and raised in Mendocino, California, and moved with his family to Maui at age 11, where he began surfing right away. Lassen's mother was an artist, and Chris began painting with oils while still in California; he sold his first hand-painted T-shirt design to a local gift shop while in the eighth gr...