Manchester artists Michael Wild and Rebecca May say they came up with pigeon and ‘splat’ concept in 2012

17:01, 28 Apr 2026Updated 21:18, 28 Apr 2026

Michael Wild and Rebecca May’s pigeon and ‘splat’ on the left and the London Museum pigeon and ‘splat’ on the right

Manchester artists Michael Wild and Rebecca May say they couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw a how a museum in London was re-branding itself as part of a £437m move to a new home.

Ahead of its move to a new home to old market building’s in the Smithfield area of the capital, London Museum’s choice of a new logo was a white pigeon and a golden splat. The director of the museum, Sharon Ament, said they represented the ‘grit and glitter’ of the capital when they were announced in 2024.

But for Michael and Rebecca, it was just a shinier version of the pigeon and splat they claim to have created as long ago as 2012 – and which was launched at the London Design Festival in 2018.

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Now, the couple have spoken publicly for the first time about what they allege amounts to plagiarism – a claim which has been flatly denied by museum bosses, who recruited the agency Uncommon Creative Studio to come up with the rebrand.

The founders of Manchester’s May Wild Studio say industry peers thought the resemblance was so striking they assumed they had been commissioned for the museum’s landmark rebranding, after spotting the resemblance to their creation, ‘Coo Pigeon’.

Michael Wild and Rebecca May(Image: Submit)

Michael, an art and design lecturer in Rochdale, and Rebecca an artist, designer and educator, work together to bring art and craft workshops to deprived communities and schools in Greater Manchester and Yorkshire.

The pair say they don’t want any money, just credit for what they say is their idea and their work.

They added they were also struck by the blurb which accompanied London Museum’s announcement of a new logo, in which director Sharon Ament said: “The pigeon and splat speak to a historic place full of dualities; a place where the grit and the glitter have existed side by side for millennia; an impartial and humble observer of London life.”

Michael and Rebecca said something very similar in a post on their own website from 2018 about their own pigeon which read: “Coo bird is a celebration of our cities, representing two sides of them: sometimes run down but sometimes glorious, a pest but also of a creature of value. They are a story of finding beauty and humour in the everyday, in the forgotten, in our common humble pigeon and its good-luck golden droppings.”

London Museum’s pigeon and ‘splat'(Image: London Museum)

In a joint statement, the couple said: “We’ve spent over a decade developing and handmaking Coo Pigeon, documenting every stage, working with local storytelling connected to people and place, and pouring our hearts into this concept.

“To see the London Museum pigeon celebrated internationally without any acknowledgment of our work has been difficult. We’re seeking respectful acknowledgment, not conflict. Our hope has always been for open dialogue around attribution and visibility for independent creatives. This isn’t about blame — it’s about encouraging better practice in the sector.”

Michael Wild and Rebecca May’s pigeon and ‘splat’ on the left and the London Museum pigeon and ‘splat’ on the right

A spokesperson for London Museum said: “London Museum’s visual identity was created by Uncommon Creative Studio following a lengthy and detailed design process in collaboration with Londoners. We are confident it was developed entirely independently.”

Uncommon Creative Studio has been approached for comment.