Who Is The Sky? by David Byrne
Released with Matador Records in September 2025, Who Is the Sky? is the ninth studio album by musician David Byrne. I designed the record art and tour graphics in collaboration with Byrne.
The cover of the record depicts Byrne dressed in otherworldly outfits: he nearly disappears into radiating, kaleidoscopic patterns that are formed by echoing images of himself. We worked to create a contrasting effect where he is both disappearing, yet also hyper-visible. I am reminded of Oscar Wilde’s words, “give a man a mask, and he will show you his true face.” In that sense, the cover art invites the audience to step into another reality and become the mythical creature we all harbor inside—to transcend and escape from the confines of ourselves.
The suits that Byrne is wearing, as well as the typography of the record, repurpose ready-made materials to form something whimsical and dreamlike, central themes in the record’s title and songs. The outfits were designed by Belgian artist Tom Van der Borght and photographed by Ahmed Klink. While they may seem phantasmagoric at first, in reality they are made of everyday materials one might find at a hardware store: ropes, fasteners, buttons, clasps, zippers. The typography of the record is also made entirely of images of Byrne, which are then cloned along a path to reveal each letterform.
Who Is The Sky has won a Gold Clio for Album Packaging and a Silver Clio for Mixed Campaign.
The record was also recognized as Prize Nominee Work by Tokyo TDC Annual Awards 2026, and was selected to be featured in the Annual Book, and exhibited at the TDC Exhibition.
The record was also recognized as Prize Nominee Work by Tokyo TDC Annual Awards 2026, and was selected to be featured in the Annual Book, and exhibited at the TDC Exhibition.
Client: David Byrne
Album Design and Creative Direction: Shira Inbar and David Byrne
Album Photos: Ahmed Klink
Costume Design: Tom Van der Borght
Animation: Shira Inbar
Packaging Production: Dan Gallo, Beggars Group
Project Manager: Ellen Wilson, Beggars Group
Producer: Salwa Benloubane
Matador Records