BEHIND
CLOSED EYES

Behind Closed Eyes sculpture models

A sculptural work exploring perception, presence, and play. Coming to Burning Man 2026.

The Vision

A 16-Foot Hollow Sculpture, Hand-Carved from Reclaimed Wood

Behind Closed Eyes is a collaborative work shaped entirely by hand -rooted in shared labor, trust, and analog, time-honored techniques. Reclaimed wood enters into conversation with the playa, and with everyone who comes near it.

The crouching figure sits at ground level, knees drawn in, hands covering its eyes. The gesture suggests hiding; the posture holds awareness and quiet presence. At night, a soft glow emerges from the eyes, the back of the head, and the interior -visible from a distance, never theatrical.

Inside, smooth rounded surfaces and a perimeter bench at multiple levels make a fort-like space of shelter and play. An inward experience: moving through the imagined belly of a creature, where enclosure, scale, and texture guide feeling more than narrative.

Sculpture on the playa at sunset
The Why

Supporting Handmade,
and the Vision Behind It

A vote for slow, handmade, deeply considered work. Vision made real in wood, in scale, in texture you can run a hand across.

Handmade work has become rare. Eighteen months of carving, laminating, and shaping in Indonesia, alongside artisans whose families have practiced this craft for generations. No shortcuts. No machine standing in for human judgment. The decision is felt the moment a hand touches the surface.

To back this project is to back a deep process -generations of craft brought into relationship with a contemporary form, finished in real-life texture meant to be sat inside, leaned against, lived with. The kind of work that takes time because it has to.

Sculpture at night with crowd gathering
The Journey

From Bali to Black Rock,
and Beyond

The Bali chapter is complete. After eighteen months of hand-carving, laminating, and finishing in Indonesia, the sculpture is crated and crossing the Pacific -bound first for Grass Valley, California, where final assembly takes place, then to Black Rock City for the burn.

Behind the piece is a workshop and a team of nearly thirty Javanese and Balinese artisans, builders, and metal fabricators who have shaped it together. Year-round work, generations of craft, kept whole.

Front view with artisan carving
Interior view of the sculpture
Full sculpture in workshop
Rear detail on scaffolding
16 ft
Sculpture Height
18 mo
In Fabrication
Hundreds
Hand Carved Pieces
13+
Artisan Builders
The Team

Built on Relationships

Spencer Hansen

Spencer Hansen

Artist
San Francisco Art Institute graduate and interdisciplinary artist whose work spans sculpture, furniture, and large-scale installations. Spencer works primarily with natural and reclaimed materials, creating handmade pieces that stand as the antithesis of disposable culture. His studio practice, rooted in Bali and California, bridges traditional craft techniques with contemporary art.
Indonesian artisan team

Indonesian Artisans

Builders
Nearly 30 Javanese and Balinese artisans, builders, and metal fabricators bringing generations of experience in traditional hand carving, woodworking, and metal smithing. This team has collaborated with Spencer across multiple large-scale works, forming a dedicated workshop anchored in sustainable, year-round employment.
Reuben Sadowsky

Reuben Sadowsky

Project Director
Founder of Beyul and builder at the intersection of brand strategy, community, and operations. Over a decade of partnership with Spencer and Shayne across creative and commercial projects, from large-scale installations to artist representation. Reuben brings fundraising, stakeholder relationships, and production oversight to bring the vision to life.
Shayne Maratea

Shayne Maratea

Project Manager
Production and operations partner since 2006, with deep experience managing complex builds across the U.S. and Indonesia. Shayne oversees logistics, fabrication timelines, and on-the-ground coordination, ensuring every piece moves from concept to completion with integrity and a commitment to handmade processes.
Funding Momentum

$195,000 Secured

The project is well funded -backed by art grants from the Burning Man Honoraria and the Lotus Art Fund, private donors, and significant investment from the core team. The remaining $155,000 is what stands between where we are and the playa.

$195,000 secured
$0 Total Budget: $350,000
$45,000
Self-Funded
Independent contribution from the core team.
$60,000
Private Donors
Private investment committed to the project.
$90,000
Art Grants
Burning Man Honoraria and Lotus Art Fund.
$155,000
Remaining Gap
The funding needed to bring this work to the playa and secure the future of large-scale art.
Where It Goes

Where Your Money Goes

Three places, and one larger arc.

The final stretch happens in Grass Valley, California -assembly, lighting, the work of getting a sculpture this scale ready to travel. From there, the piece heads to Black Rock City, where tens of thousands of people will encounter it on the playa.

Beyond this work, support helps secure a long-term home for handmade large-scale art -here in the United States, and in Bali, where the team can continue their craft year-round.

Fewer line items. More belief in the work. Each contribution moves both the sculpture, and what comes next, forward.

Sculpture glowing at night on the playa
What You Get

What You Get in Return

Listed as a Donor

Recognized on the Behind Closed Eyes website and credited as a supporter on all materials, activations, and communications related to the piece.

Activation Night

Donors are invited to activate the sculpture space on playa and become part of a dedicated donor WhatsApp thread -so you always know when and where to come celebrate together.

Tax-Deductible

Donations of $5,000 and above are tax-deductible when routed through BCE's fiscal sponsor. We can work with your preferred nonprofit structure.

Ways to Support

Become a Supporter

Patron

$50 - $5K
  • Named as a BCE Patron on all materials
  • Invitation to activation night at the sculpture
  • Behind-the-scenes build updates
  • Invitations to private view and secret sales for Spencer Hansen Art

Founding Supporter

$5K - $10K
  • All Patron benefits
  • Prominent credit as Founding Supporter
  • Tax-deductible contribution
  • Special limited edition piece of art
  • Direct line to the BCE team

Major Partner

$10K - $25K
  • All Founding Supporter benefits
  • Co-host activation night -your DJs, your aesthetic
  • Permanent recognition with the future workshop
  • Higher-tier special edition limited piece of art shipped to you

Custom partnership structures welcome. Let's talk about what works for you.

Join Us

Be a Part of the Community
That Makes This Possible

We're looking for a small group of individuals who believe that handmade things matter, and that art, at scale, can change how people feel about themselves and each other.

If that sounds like you, we'd love to have a conversation.

We're also looking for volunteers to help with preparation and pre-build events in Grass Valley, California during July and early August. If you'd like to get involved hands-on, reach out.

Reuben's Phone (donation questions)
970 456 6609
Email
inquire@spencerhansen.art
Web
www.spencerhansen.art
Instagram
@spencerblamo
Gratitude

A heartfelt thank you from the entire Behind Closed Eyes team -Spencer Hansen, Shayne Maratea, Reuben Sadowsky, and our Indonesian teammates whose hands shaped every inch of this work.

Special thanks to Jan Hilmer, Zac Brown, Five Ton Crane, the Lotus Art Fund, and Burning Man Honoraria for believing in this project from the start.

Donations of $5,000 and above are tax-deductible when routed through BCE's fiscal sponsor.
Sculpture at night with figure seated