Introducing: Lost Gods (1 of 1 Series) by Levi Hawken

Levi Hawken is a contemporary artist whose work is deeply rooted in the urban landscape of Auckland, New Zealand. Raised in the neighbourhoods of Herne Bay and Ponsonby, the 70s and 80s, were raw, diverse, and full of character.  Defined by its working-class roots, street culture, and strong community ties. This environment shaped Hawken’s early worldview and laid the foundations for a lifelong connection to urban space.

Emerging from the subcultures of skateboarding and graffiti in the 1990s, Hawken was part of a generation that saw the city as both canvas and playground. Frustrated by the temporary nature of graffiti, he moved into the studio to develop a more permanent sculptural language. His works range from concrete sculptures to paintings and drawings and are deeply informed by the textures of the urban landscape and the visual language of the street.

Now based in West Auckland, Hawken continues to draw on the architecture and energy of the city that raised him. His concrete sculptures are both refined and raw, bridging brutalist form with the playful irreverence of skate culture. From gallery floors to skateparks, his works echo with a sense of place and personal history.

Lost Gods is the latest body of work by Levi Hawken, presented as a series of 1-of-1 editions. These are the first iterations of a new sculptural language, more intricate and technically complex than his earlier series. Each work is cast in micro concrete, giving it a soft, almost skin-like smoothness that contrasts with the weight and presence of the object itself. This collection marks a shift in scale and in ambition, where architecture, mythology, and the unknown converge.

"Lost Gods are monuments dedicated to the powers that created and control the universe. Blurring the lines between artefacts from lost civilisations and future religions that haven’t been realised yet.

In reality their purpose is an exploration into brutalist architectural forms, with miniature board form textures that pattern the Scarpa-esque stepped structure and supported voids. 

Somewhere between buildings and human forms they exist solely as textured playgrounds for light and shadows.

Relics left over from unknown origins that are obsolete in present day or a poignant reminder that true power lies in embracing the unknown."