Back in 2010, the British artist David Shrigley was kind enough to create a series of illustrations for restaurant noma. Written on one of the pieces he handed to René and the team was a phrase: “Don’t Lose Your Sparkle.” Suddenly, noma had its unofficial mantra, along with a friendship that continues to grow nearly fifteen years in.

Seemingly simple, clever yet warm, David’s art has defined the look and feel of Noma Projects since the day we decided to see if people might be interested in trying a brew of mushrooms from the fermentation lab. For our first ever release, we wanted a label that felt playful, human, unmistakably noma. Sir Shrigley was the only artist we considered. He and his team have conceived every single label since.  

While the noma test kitchen and David’s studio might seem like totally different worlds, we’ve discovered that we share a few important things in common. One is the need to see the world just as a child might, which is how you keep your sparkle. The second is a passion for what happens when you Try New Things. That helpful message appears on one what has become the unofficial logo of Noma Projects.