BEHIND CLOSED EYES

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

WHAT IS BEHIND CLOSED EYES?

Behind Closed Eyes is a 16-foot hollow sculpture hand-carved from reclaimed Indonesian teak salvaged from retired fishing vessels and structural timber. Its exterior features repeating, topographic-like ridges that reveal deep texture, visible tool marks, and natural patina. Hand-formed copper elements suggest eyes and a spine.

The crouching figure sits at ground level with knees drawn in and hands covering its eyes. While the gesture suggests hiding, the posture conveys awareness and quiet presence. At night, a soft glow emerges from the eyes and the back of the head and interior, making the sculpture visible from a distance without feeling theatrical.

The interior is smooth and enclosed, with rounded wooden surfaces and a simple perimeter bench, creating a fort-like space of shelter and play. It invites an inward experience, like moving through the imagined belly of a creature, where enclosure, scale, and texture guide feeling more than narrative.

PHILOSOPHY

There are many ways to be in this life. Behind Closed Eyes does not guide you toward a particular way of being, but instead offers a space to explore. It can be internal or external, in silence or through play. A place to bring what is inside out, or to draw what is around you in. In a world filled with constant stimulation, it offers tactile quiet and presence.

Birthed from the mind and heart of Spencer Hansen, Behind Closed Eyes is, at its core, a communal project that does not tell you what to see, but instead asks a simple question: what do you feel? This is a space for that.

Bringing Hansen’s vision to life has been a testament to shared labor, trust, and the intentional use of analog, time-honored techniques combined with innovative processes. The work is done primarily by hand with reclaimed wood. What emerges is a new creation rooted in traditional craftsmanship and artistry.

The sculpture is built with Hansen’s longtime team of Indonesian artists, collaborators he has worked with for over eighteen years. Behind Closed Eyes looks both to the past and toward the future, grounding us in the present moment.

MATERIALS

Materials include reclaimed Indonesian boat wood, primarily teak, and structural timber, with copper elements integrated into the external form. The material choice is not only physical but philosophical: wood that has lived previous lives and holds its own stories, reworked through slow, deliberate processes into something new. It carries its own history into a world too often defined by disposability.

The project prioritizes responsible material reuse, energy efficiency, and long-term durability to reduce environmental impact and support sustainable practices.

PATTERNS AND PROCESS

PROGRESS TOWARD COMPLETION

Follow progress updates on our Spencer Hansen Art You Tube Channel: Follow along here.

CONTRIBUTE TO THE CREATION

If you would like to support the creation of this sculpture, you can make a direct contribution. Donations of $100 or less are not tax-deductible, but they still play an important role in helping bring this work to life. Every contribution helps support materials, fabrication, and installation.
Donate to Spencer Hansen Venmo: @Spencerblamo

If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution, donations of over $100 can be made through Five Ton Crane Arts Group, our nonprofit fiscal sponsor. Donors contributing through this channel will receive a donor acknowledgment letter for their records.
Make a tax-deductible donation here: Donate to Art! Please be sure to include Behind Closed Eyes in all donation notes, so the funds get appropriately distributed.

All donations will go directly to completing the art work and getting it to Burning Man 2026. Your support not only helps complete this sculpture, but also contributes to the creation of future large-scale public art projects.

Thank you,

Behind Closed Eyes Team