Michael Hawksworth was born in Wellington in 1966. He studied English Literature and Art History at Victoria University and during this time attended Bill Manhire's creative writing course. Subsequently he focused on writing but maintained an interest in painting and drawing that had developed during his high school years. In the early 1990's travel to the United Kingdom and Europe reignited Hawksworth's interest in contemporary art and on returning to Napier he began studying visual art at Hawkes Bay Polytechnic (now Eastern Institute of Technology). After graduation he began tutoring there in drawing alongside developing his own drawing and collage-based studio work. Hawksworth completed a Masters Degree in Fine Art at Elam School of Fine Arts in 2003. Since then he has continued to exhibit regularly in group and solo shows.