Born in San Francisco, David Best attended the College of Marin, receiving a BFA, followed by the San Francisco Art Institute where he was awarded an MFA. He first caught the attention of the art world through the three-to-four-foot-high plaster figures he creates that are then covered with cast porcelain and found objects suggesting Indian shamans buried beneath talismans and fetishes. Besides making his art, he is also known for art cars, which he embellishes. Most recently he has become known as the Temple Builder at Burning Man. His work can be found in major museum collections.