Trey Surtees

About Trey Surtees

STYLIZED.

“My desire is to be filled with the passion and Hawaiian spirit that resonate in the islands so I can bring that energy into my work allowing the viewer to feel the presence of Aloha.”

TIKI.

Trey Surtees is a Hawaii-based surf artist whose work also blends Tiki culture, whimsical, and the spirit of island life. His artistic journey began in 1974 drawing portraits and caricatures at The Castaways, a Tiki Polynesian-themed resort in North Miami Beach, and at Ocean World in Fort Lauderdale. Immersed in vibrant Tiki environments early on, these formative experiences continue to shape the playful and stylized aesthetic of his work today.

Surtees went on to work at Playboy Resort hotels in Miami and New Jersey, before taking his talents to sea, painting portraits aboard the Queen Elizabeth II on three Caribbean cruises. In 1978, drawn by the allure of the tropics, he relocated to Hawaii, where, while drawing caricatures at a resort on Oahu, he began developing a comic strip concept centered on Tikis stranded on a deserted island, an idea that reflects his enduring fascination with humor and storytelling.

Those early years as a caricature artist laid the foundation for Surtees’ signature style: expressive, lighthearted, and character driven. Today, his work features whimsical figures set against lush Hawaiian backdrops, inspired by a lifetime spent diving, surfing, kayaking, and embracing the rhythms of island living. Through his art, Surtees captures both the beauty and the humor of life in Hawaii.