The Triumphant King Rules II
2024
Embroidery on fabric, bamboo, wood
127 cm
The One Who is Shaded by Tradition
2024
Embroidery on fabric
200 x 200 cm
Rita Mawuena Benissan’s artistry is deeply rooted in her Ghanaian heritage. In her work, she attempts to revive traditional symbols within the context of contemporary art, emphasizing their role in shaping cultural identity. The artist’s practice—encompassing textiles, sculpture, photography, and video—aims to highlight and celebrate the rich culture of the Ashanti people.
The Triumphant King Rules II and The One Who is Shaded by Tradition are part of Benissan’s artistic interpretation of the visual language of Akan chieftaincy, exhibited at Accra Cultural Week 2024 and central to her landmark solo show One Must Be Seated at Zeitz MOCAA in 2025. Through this work, Benissan reimagines the royal umbrella—an emblem of leadership, transformation, and protection—by blending archival narrative, traditional craftsmanship, and contemporary textile techniques.
Benissan embroiders portraits of past rulers onto the fabric of umbrellas, traditionally made from Kente cloth, while honoring the traditional artisans of Kumasi. The artist collaborates with the same artisans who craft the royal umbrellas for the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, the capital of the Asante.
Rita Mawuena Benissan (b. 1995) is a Ghanaian-American interdisciplinary artist. In her artistic practice, she seeks to redefine the Ghanaian royal umbrella, transforming it from a simple protective object into a powerful symbol of identity. Benissan’s work has received international recognition, with exhibitions at renowned institutions in the United States, South Africa, Germany, and Ghana.
