Levi Hawken

Levi Hawken (born 1975) is a New Zealand sculptor, graffiti artist, and skateboarder. Hawken was a professional skateboarder for Blue Tile Lounge, Boom Skateboards, and Sector 9, and has been involved in skateboarding for over 40 years, particularly known for his hill bombing in the Auckland scene. As an artist, Hawken began graffiti street art in the mid-1990s, then worked as a graphic designer for streetwear brands in the early 2000s, before moving into concrete and glass sculpture. Hawken's experience of urban environments in his skating has influenced his work, which is characterised by a Brutalist and Modernist design language.

In 2011, Hawken was the subject of a viral Internet meme known as the "nek minnit" video, after a clip of him taken from an independent skateboarding film was uploaded to YouTube. The incident made Hawken famous in Australasia and was heavily parodied, with the phrase becoming an enduring part of New Zealand slang. However, Hawken attracted unwanted public attention and scrutiny, significantly impacting his life and career.

By the 2020s, Hawken had produced several public works including relief walls in urban Auckland and Sylvia Park, and had developed a body of exhibited work based on themes of idoltary, monuments, and the concept of futuristic hieroglyphs and artefacts. In the early 2020s, Hawken was featured as a designer with South Hill Home, a US-based luxury furnishing company.