Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) presents One Must Be Seated, a solo exhibition by Ghanaian-American artist Rita Mawuena Benissan. Deeply rooted within her Ghanaian culture, Benissan’s practice has particular focus on the reimagining of the royal umbrella and stool, symbols of Akan chieftaincy, as seen in southern Ghana and adjacent parts of Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast).
The exhibition explores the enstoolment of a prospective chief, akin to coronation; a call to take their rightful seat in the stool that has been chosen for them. Through tapestry, sculpture, photography and video, Benissan’s work highlights and celebrates the rich traditions of Ghanaian culture, with a focus on Asante customs.
The royal umbrella has been used since at least the 17th century and it transforms the individual underneath it, attributing significant status to them. Different sizes, colours and unique gold totems that crown the umbrella canopy are seen as they move with the court in lively procession. Under the umbrella, the chief and his thoughts are hidden even from the heavens above him.
Rita Mawuena Benissan delicately reimagines this cultural object through the use of the archive. As we see in works like The Triumphant King Rules (?hene a wadi Nkonim No Di Tumi) (2023), portraits of past chiefs are embedded within the fabric of the umbrella which is traditionally made with woven Kente cloth and reinterpreted in rich velvet by the artist. Her works are made by the same craftsmen who make the royal umbrellas for the palace in Kumasi, the Asante capital. By intentionally naming these artisans as collaborators, the artist honours the hands that uphold the traditions of the chieftaincy.
The exhibition layout simulates the enstoolment tradition with each successive gallery symbolising a stage in the process. Walking through the exhibition space, one passes the palace at dusk, depicted in an intricately woven tapestry, We Process at Sunrise (2024); receives a powerful affirmation of growth and renewal in the green shades of We Give Power to You (2024), another umbrella work; and is ultimately led to the final golden throne.
One Must Be Seated forms part of an ongoing series of in-depth, research-based solo exhibitions by Zeitz MOCAA that bring into focus and contextualise the practices of important artists from Africa and the Diaspora, and those whose work focuses on seminal topics in the African present. Zeitz MOCAA’s exhibition and curatorial programming is generously supported by Gucci, the Mellon Foundation and BMW South Africa.
About the artist
Rita Mawuena Benissan (b. 1995, Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire) is a Ghanaian-American interdisciplinary artist with a profound passion for art and cultural history. She collaborates with traditional artisans to breathe life into archival photos, immortalising individual figures and communal scenes while embodying the beauty and power of her people. Born in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire to Ghanaian parents, Benissan’s journey led her to the United States as a baby, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Apparel and Textile Design from Michigan State University in 2017, followed by a Master of Fine Arts in photography and an African Studies Program Certificate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2021.
In 2020, Benissan established Si Hene, a foundation dedicated to preserving Ghana’s chieftaincy and traditional culture, leaving a significant mark on Ghana’s artistic and historical narratives. Through her foundation, she played a pivotal role in the reopening of the National Museum of Ghana in 2022 and served as the Chief Curator at the Institute Museum of Ghana (Noldor Artist Residency) until 2022. Furthermore, she served as the artistic director for the Open Society Foundation’s Restitution Conference in Accra, demonstrating her commitment to cultural preservation and representation.
Benissan’s artistic prowess has garnered global recognition, with exhibitions at prestigious venues such as Arts + Literature Laboratory in Wisconsin (2021), the Foundation Contemporary of Art at Afrochella Festival (2021) and the Dak’Art – Biennale de l’Art Africain Contemporain at the IFAN African Art Museum in Dakar, Senegal (2022). Her solo exhibition, In the World Not of the World, curated by Ekow Eshun at Gallery 1957 in Accra (2023), stands as a testament to her unwavering dedication to redefining the narrative of Ghanaian identity through beauty and strength. She lives and works in Accra, Ghana. One Must Be Seater will run until the 19th of October 2025 at Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town.
