WATCH THIS SPACE: LEVI HAWKEN
Horus 3
Artist Levi Hawken
Date Unknown
Location City Mall
It’s amazing what you can miss when you don’t look that little bit closer! Fixed onto concrete seating in the heart of City Mall, Tāmaki Makaurau artist Levi Hawken’s small cast concrete sculpture is overlooked by the majority of oblivious passers-by, a reminder that not all street art is bright, bold, and imposing in scale. Horus 3 is part of a series of works inspired by Hawken’s interests in skateboarding, graffiti, Brutalist architecture, and the urban landscape. Combatting the ephemerality of traditional graffiti (the works remain visible even when painted over), the tiny, layered sculpture echoes the built environment while also drawing on Hawken’s graffiti style, combining hard edges with curved forms into a design that is open to interpretation. Utilising subtlety over shock and awe, Hawken’s work (installed by local fans) is an example of urban art’s thoughtful diversity and a winking interplay with the surrounding environment.
Explore more of Ōtautahi’s urban art on a Watch This Space guided street art tour! Email tours@watchthisspace.org.nz for booking information.