Rikken studied at the Academy of Art and Industry in Enschede, where he had lessons from Jan van Eyl and Pearl Perlmuter, among others. He graduated with water plastics in 1980. The artist now lives and works in Groningen.

In the Werkman Year (1995) Rikken made a steel bridge for the Gallery Art Show. The Werkman bridge was placed in the Soendavijver in the city of Groningen in 1998.