Australian and New Zealand artists collaborate with Fifa to deliver the Women’s World Cup 2023

Although most sporting events take their visual-identity cues from the symbol of the trophy, Public Address and Works Collective used this opportunity to partner with female artists in Australia and New Zealand, where the Women’s World Cup 2023 will be held, and to draw on elements of local heritage and culture.

The 32 squares in the emblem represent the 32 nations that will compete for the Fifa Women’s World Cup 2023. The design project team, made up of collaborators from over 10 countries, aimed to convey a truly global representation. The circular motif, a shared design element seen across many indigenous Australian and New Zealand cultures, was used in the identity for the football event to signify the world’s coming together in Australia and New Zealand.

Chern’ee Sutton created the Australian pattern, which represents the many fans, families and supporters who will travel to be part of the event. The New Zealand pattern was created in collaboration with local textile artist Fiona Collis. It aims to speak to the coming together of people and cultures, whilst the collective mountains within the composition of the pattern hope to evoke inclusivity, convergence and the power of the collective.

Sutton tells us that she was really excited to represent Fifa and its values of creating “a brighter future for women in the world of sport, which I represented through the sun/yellow circle.” Chern’ee expands that her artwork represents “Australia’s first nations people which is really special. In the painting the snake represents Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history which has been a part of our land for over 60,000 years. It also represents the rainbow serpent, which is one of the most widely recognised Dreamtime stories for Aboriginal mobs all around Australia, every mob has their own language, customs and stories but the story of the rainbow serpent is one of the stories that many mobs from around the nation share.”

Whereas Collis was keen to highlight the large triangles of the Niho Taniwha “which represent mountains and geographical locations bringing women from the four corners of the world together,” she tells It’s Nice That. “Some cultures use mountains as GPS locators of identity and I wanted to acknowledge the women of the world and the lands they come from.” Niho taniwha, meaning the teeth of the taniwha (cautionary elements), Fiona tells us, also makes reference to cautionary elements. “Moving into the World Cup together, we remember that the players will be driven by competition.”

Public Address chose the colour palette to look beyond the hosts’ flags and towards Australia and New Zealand’s natural landscapes, drawing a vibrant range of colours from the regions’ rainforests, earth, mountains, water and cities.

The typeface aims to reflect the characteristics of the women competing in the competition: bold, modern and dynamic. The letterforms take inspiration from the circular motif and the squares that form it. The typeface was designed by New Zealand type designer Alistair McCready.