James Rizzi (American, 1950–2011) was a Pop artist known for his use of childlike imagery and vibrant colors. Born in Brooklyn, Rizzi attended Miami Dade College and the University of Florida, developing what would become his trademark technique of making a silkscreen print, hand coloring it, and then attaching cutouts with adhesive foam. The result was a 3D multiple that combined graphic art, painting, and sculpture.

In 1975, Rizzi settled in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, where he would spend the rest of his life. He began participating in outdoor art shows in Brooklyn Heights and Washington Square, and sold his work outside The Museum of Modern Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Rizzi attracted attention for his small-scale graphic work, exhibiting at the Brooklyn Museum in 1976, and creating album art and animated videos for the new wave band Tom Tom Club in the early 1980s. He also experienced success overseas, particularly in Germany and Asia, where he worked on television, puzzle designs, and vehicular art.

In 1996, he received his most high-profile commission, as the official artist for the Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA. He created a series of paintings of the opening ceremony that are now in the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland. But his most well-known work remains his 3D prints, particularly his anthropomorphic cityscapes. In 2008, a retrospective exhibition was held at the Rheingold Hall in Mainz, Germany, which displayed over 1,000 works by the artist.

Rizzi died of a heart condition in New York City at the age of 61.