Step into the Splendour of Ghanaian Heritage as Benissan’s Installations Celebrate Chieftaincy, Tradition, and the Power of Ancestral Connection
Detail of installation. Image courtesy of Brendon Bell-Roberts.
Last night, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa unveiled Ghanaian-American interdisciplinary artist Rita Mawuena Benissan’s first solo museum exhibition, ‘One Must Be Seated’, a captivating display spanning six gallery spaces. With life-size installations that immerse viewers in the grandeur of Ghanaian heritage, Benissan’s work transforms the museum into a ceremonial journey.
Benissan’s work explores the symbolism of Chieftaincy councils’ royal umbrellas, celebrating their protective and regal roles in Ghanaian culture. She aims to reshape Ghana’s artistic narrative by highlighting the significance of historical artefacts and economic legacies. Her research focuses on how Ghanaians engage with their heritage in public spaces, ensuring these artefacts remain meaningful. Collaborating with artisans in Kumasi, she reintroduces royal umbrellas and stools, preserving their cultural relevance. Benissan celebrates Asante traditions through her crafted pieces and inspires future generations to honour their heritage.
Upon entering the exhibition, visitors encounter three golden statuettes mounted on plinths, reimagining traditional royal umbrella totems through modern 3D printing. ADE AN EBETUMI AKARI PE features a figure holding an egg, symbolising new beginnings and a new chief’s ascent. ANANSE, inspired by the legendary Ananse spider, presents a spiderweb linked to the first woven Kente cloth. PROTECTOR depicts a hen, symbolising community guardianship and holds personal significance as the artist’s grandfather’s totem.
LEFT TO RIGHT: ADE AN EBETUMI AKARI PE, 2024. Resin, gold paint, clear lacquer. ANANSE, 2024. Resin, gold paint, clear lacquer. PROTECTOR, 2024. Resin, gold paint, clear lacquer. Image courtesy of Brendon Bell-Roberts.
In the adjacent gallery, an installation features a giant golden umbrella mounted above a plinth, recreating the experience of being in the presence of royalty. Benissan’s artistic journey mirrors the Akan enstoolment process, where the Queen Mother presents a new chief to the Kingmakers. Like the enstoolment, Benissan’s creative practice is a personal rite of passage, aligning her with her ancestors’ legacy and embracing her identity through art as self-realisation and tribute to her roots.
Rita Mawuena Benissan. Image courtesy of Brendon Bell-Roberts
‘One Must Be Seated‘ is an installation featuring a two-channel video and the Blackened Seat, a sacred stool adorned with golden studs. Traditionally an altar for ancestral spirits, the Blackened Seat becomes the focal point for engaging with the enstoolment process. The film blends documentary footage of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s 25th Jubilee parade with fictional scenes of a Chief-elect communing with his ancestors. By centring the Blackened Seat, Benissan creates a space for reflection, inviting viewers to contemplate their heritage and ancestral wisdom.
One Must Be Seated, 2024. 2-channel video with sound: 7 minutes: 05 seconds. Image courtesy of Brendon Bell-Roberts
The next room features a grand tapestry on the wall and 7 multicoloured umbrellas hanging from the ceiling. In this large-scale piece, Benissan portrays a palace at the break of dawn, the home of the Chief, with his court surrounding him. The tapestry captures the anticipation of the enstoolment process, set against a clear blue sky. The palace grounds are alive, with townspeople eager to greet their future leader. As with her other works, Benissan partnered with Mohammed Idris Tanko, who embroidered the canopies for the palace’s royal umbrellas.
We Process at Sunrise, 2024. Tapestry. Embroidering on velvet. Image courtesy of Brendon Bell-Roberts
The seven umbrellas in this series represent those used during the Asantehene’s procession, held aloft by umbrella bearers to form a fluttering canopy above the King. Viewers are invited to walk beneath the umbrellas, immersing themselves in the experience of the royal canopy. The artist reimagines the Kyiniye by scaling them down and employing a muted colour palette, departing from the vibrant hues typically seen at the palace.
From Most High (I – VII), 2024. Fabric on wooden and metal structure with gold leaf sculptural totem. Image courtesy of Brendon Bell-Roberts
The two grand Kyiniye in the following gallery symbolise the Chief’s duty to protect the community. Positioned on a raised stage, reminiscent of the Manhyia Palace platform, they represent the official state, Kyiniye, of the Asante Kingdom. One protects the Asantehene’s Dwa, Sika Dwa, while the other guards the Bosomuru sword, the “soul sword,” symbolising the Chief’s role as a unifier. Benissan links historical and contemporary expressions of power by embroidering the Kyiniye with images such as Nana Kwaku Gyan, the war chief of Techiman, and a hand gesture symbolising respect and the transfer of power.
Installation view of ‘One Must Be Seated’ at Zeitz MOCAA. Image courtesy of Brendon Bell-Roberts
On the left wall of the next gallery, the photographic installation I Am the Members of My Mother draws from the film One Must Be Seated, highlighting the women who uphold the chieftaincy in Ghanaian customs. Known as baahemaa (queen mothers), they serve as Kingmakers, guiding Chiefs through their ancestral connection. The series captures a pivotal moment before a future Chief enters seclusion to immerse in Asante traditions, where he is mentored by the Obaahemaa. Though often unseen, these women play a vital role in the coronation and dethroning of Chiefs, with their influence central in these photographs.
LEFT TO RIGHT: The Kingmaker, 2024. Photograph on Hahnemühle German etching. Ancestral Counsel, 2024. Photograph on Hahnemühle German etching. We Have Call Upon You, 2024. Photograph on Hahnemühle German etching paper. Image courtesy of Brendon Bell-Roberts
The role of the Obaahemaa, captured in the Akan saying “Obaa na swo Oohene” (“it is the woman that gave birth to the chief”), highlights her as a vital link between the chiefdom and the ancestral realm. As Kingmakers and the highest advisors, they guide both the enstoolment and destoolment processes, ensuring harmony in the community. Before any royal procession begins, the Obaahemaa must be present. The tapestries and photographs in this gallery simulate the Obaahemaa convening the royal court.
Installation view of ‘One Must Be Seated’ at Zeitz MOCAA. Image courtesy of Brendon Bell-Roberts
The circular tapestries reflect the Kyiniye canopy, symbolising the interconnected roles within the royal court. The Obaahemaa, adorned in gold to signify wealth and status, are depicted alongside court advisors, bridging the Chief and the community. Benissan’s textile works engage with photographs from One Must Be Seated, creating a dialogue between history and contemporary reenactment. This highlights the Obaahemaa’s pivotal role in guiding the Chief-elect, affirming their power as custodians of tradition and questioning the essence of leadership.
The Night Closes on the Most High, 2024. Tapestry. Embroidering on velvet. Image courtesy of Brendon Bell-Roberts
The final gallery features The Golden Stool (Sika Dwa Kofi), a sacred symbol of governance for the Asante people, representing both a physical object and a spiritual connection to their history and beliefs. Tied to Queen Ya Asantewaa’s legacy, the stool symbolises the power of the Asantehene and the spirits of ancestors. Sitting on it, repeated thrice, signifies the bond between the living and the spiritual realm. Sit at My Right Hand reimagines the stool as a sculptural throne, blending tradition with contemporary homage as a sacred space for the queen’s council, the community, and the Chief.
Sit at my right-hand, 2024. Gold plate with leather fur on wood. Image courtesy of Brendon Bell-Roberts
Each step through the exhibit invites visitors to embody the regal essence of Ghanaian royalty, immersing them in powerful symbols of chieftaincy and tradition. This awe-inspiring show allows viewers to witness and feel the profound legacy of Benissan’s art, blending historical reverence with personal empowerment.
‘One Must Be Seated’ forms part of Zeitz MOCAA’s ongoing series of in-depth, research-based solo exhibitions that focus on and contextualise the practices of important artists from Africa and the Diaspora, including those whose work focuses on seminal topics in the African present.
The exhibition runs until the 5th of October, 2025. For more information, please visit Zeitz MOCAA.
Suzette Bell-Roberts is the Co-founder and Digital Editor of ART AFRICA magazine.
