The dying art behind Esther Mnguni’s World Cup tributes

Ndebele artist Gogo Esther Mnguni has transformed the match ball from Australia's 2023 Netball World Cup victory in Cape Town and the ball from the Springboks' 2023 Rugby World Cup triumph into works of art.

The two balls were unveiled at the launch of the Legendary Women in the Arts exhibition at the Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History. Beyond celebrating two major sporting victories, the artworks are drawing attention to Mnguni's traditional chicken-feather brush technique, which is practised by fewer than 10 people.

Prince Menzi Mthethwa, Mnguni's curator and media contact, said Netball South Africa donated the netball to the artist after Australia defeated England in the 2023 final in Cape Town.

Mnguni repurposed the ball through her artistic practice, turning an object associated with one of Australia's major sporting achievements into a work carrying South African cultural expression.

The ball will travel across all nine provinces of South Africa before making its way to Australia next year when the country hosts the 2027 Netball World Cup. The tour will be accompanied by workshops aimed at preserving Mnguni's traditional technique.

Mthethwa said fewer than 10 grandmothers use the chicken-feather brush, making it a dying art that needed to be preserved.

The workshops accompanying the ball's tour are intended to ensure that the skill is passed on to younger generations before it disappears.

The issue is not only about preserving the finished artworks but also the knowledge and technique behind them. With so few practitioners remaining, introducing young people to the skill could help prevent an important part of the artistic tradition from being lost.

Mnguni's use of sporting objects was deliberate, Mthethwa said, because of the strong interest young people had in sport.

Rather than relying solely on traditional art spaces to communicate with younger audiences, she uses objects they recognise and connect with. The approach allows sporting history to serve as an entry point to conversations about culture, heritage and traditional artistic practices.

Mthethwa said the artist recognised that messaging and communication had evolved beyond traditional mediums, requiring new ways of engaging audiences.

The second sporting artwork is the 2023 Rugby World Cup ball, associated with the Springboks' record fourth World Cup victory in France.

Mthethwa said Mnguni also painted a rugby ball in Paris after the tournament, creating another connection between South Africa's sporting achievement and her art.

The two balls had not been unveiled together before, making their presentation at the Ditsong exhibition a significant part of the launch. Together, they demonstrate how objects associated with major sporting moments can be transformed into works that carry cultural meaning beyond the field of play.

The artworks will also strengthen the cultural relationship between South Africa and Australia.

Australian High Commissioner to South Africa Tegan Brink said sport was an important part of the relationship between the two countries and recalled watching Australia's Diamonds defeat England in the 2023 Netball World Cup final in Cape Town.

She highlighted Australian netball's role in creating development opportunities for South African players, including Proteas player Elmeré van der Berg, who plays for the Adelaide Thunderbirds.

The planned journey of Mnguni's work between South Africa and Australia will extend that relationship through art as well as sport.

Brink said the relationship would continue as Australia prepared to host the 2027 Netball World Cup. Through the "Her Power 27" legacy programme, Australia aimed to create opportunities for women and girls in sport while placing First Nations culture, art and storytelling at the heart of the tournament. The Mnguni artworks provided a natural meeting point between the themes, connecting sporting achievement with cultural expression and the preservation of artistic knowledge.

Mnguni's work has travelled beyond South Africa before.

Mthethwa said she previously painted a rugby ball in Paris and had also used other recognisable objects to reach new audiences. In March, she painted a Superga sneaker on the rooftop of the Leonardo Hotel in Sandton, 234m above the ground, becoming the first artist to paint there. Another Superga sneaker was commissioned for the Italian brand's 100th anniversary, with the two works expected to tour Italy next year.

The exhibition in which the balls were unveiled celebrates six South African women whose work has contributed to the country's artistic and cultural heritage. Alongside Mnguni, it features Dr Esther Mahlangu, Dr Noria Mabasa, Helen Sebidi, Rebecca Matibe and Dr Gcina Mhlophe, bringing together visual art, sculpture and storytelling.

It was launched during the 70th anniversary commemorations of the 1956 Women's March and seeks to recognise women's contributions to the country's heritage while ensuring their stories are passed on to future generations.

Ditsong Museums of South Africa acting CEO Dr Molebogeng Mohapi said the exhibition was part of the institution's efforts to promote transformation, diversity and inclusivity.

She said museums had traditionally focused on men's stories, often excluding women from important narratives and exhibitions. Ditsong had therefore taken a conscious decision to broaden its storytelling to include women, young people, people living with disabilities and people from different racial backgrounds.

Mohapi said the approach was important to fostering social cohesion and nation-building.

The exhibition's timing also connects the featured artists to a longer history of women shaping South Africa's identity.

Ditsong Museums Council chairperson Lynette Tlhogo said the exhibition was particularly fitting as the country marked 70 years since the 1956 Women's March, with one of Mabasa's sculptures depicting the historic event.

She encouraged families to visit the exhibition together so that stories could be passed between generations and young people could learn about the country's history.

National Arts Council representative Julie Diphofa said the six women stood as cultural custodians, educators and nation-builders whose achievements should form part of South Africa's shared national memory.

For South African Gallery of Legends chairperson Ria Ledwaba, celebrating women must also create opportunities for them to pass on their knowledge. Ledwaba said discussions were under way with the National Arts Council about funding community programmes through which the legends could share their skills with young people.

She also discussed the possibility of taking the artworks to Australia during the upcoming World Cups.

Ledwaba said South Africans should celebrate their cultural legends while they were alive rather than waiting until after their deaths to recognise their contribution.

The chicken-feather brush technique gives the sporting artworks an importance that extends beyond the objects. With fewer than 10 people practising the technique, the planned workshops could help determine whether the skill survives into another generation.

Mnguni's decision to place the technique on objects associated with major sporting moments also gives it the opportunity to reach audiences who might otherwise never see it.

The exhibition will remain at the Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History for six months, offering visitors an opportunity to see the works and consider how sport, art and heritage can work together to preserve traditions at risk of being forgotten.