David Best

David Best is an American sculptor and public artist from Northern California best known for designing and building large, intricately detailed wooden temples that serve as communal spaces for reflection, mourning, and celebration before being ritually burned at the annual Burning Man festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, a tradition he began in 2000.

He holds a BFA from the College of Marin and an MFA in sculpture from the San Francisco Art Institute, and his broader work—including sculpture, collage, art cars, and mixed-media pieces—appears in museum collections and public art projects worldwide. Best works collaboratively with volunteers and community members, creating participatory structures that extend beyond Burning Man to cities nationally and internationally.