Rita Mawuena Benissan
Rita Mawuena Benissan has taken ceremonial umbrellas and reimagined them as a symbol of Ghanaian identity. By Sarah Jones.
Photo: Rita Mawuena Benissan by Michael “Kwame Pocho” Dakwa.
Rita Mawuena Benissan by Michael “Kwame Pocho” Dakwa.
The umbrella is seen by many as a practical accessory, one that protects us from the sun and shelters us from the rain. But across West Africa, umbrellas have a long-held symbolic significance. Decorated in lavish colours and designs, the umbrellas reflect the status of the chief and correspond to the ethnic group’s cultural identity. In Ghanaian culture, umbrellas are used in rituals to represent royal status, offering ‘coolness and inner spiritual peace’, essential attributes for any leader. Artist Rita Mawuena Benissan has taken the Ghanaian umbrella and turned it into a joyful expression of her cultural heritage and individual identity. For Rita, her artwork is both a reflection of her culture and is deeply personal.
Rita was born to Ghanaian parents but emigrated to the United States as a baby and studied art at university, graduating with a Master of Fine Arts in photography. University was a period in which she was able to reflect on herself and her heritage. She describes a ‘disconnect’ in her identity. “I’m not Ghanaian enough to really understand everything that’s going on in Ghana. But then also, I wasn’t… American.”
Rita knew that her grandfather was a chief in the Volta region but had never met him. It inspired her to explore her roots by researching the chiefdoms. Her research revealed what she saw as a cultural disconnect in Ghanaian society, not because the tradition of chiefdoms had been forgotten but, in fact, because it was too readily accessible.
She said: “Ghanaian culture is literally embraced and embodied into their identity so much, but there’s still a disconnect from there as well.” She found that the meaning of the cultural symbols had, for many people, eroded. Traditional kente cloth is one example. It is so rich in symbolic significance and traditional workmanship, but Rita illustrates how its importance is being undermined by cheap, imported cotton fabric. Chiefs have become fashion icons whose robes are replicated and worn as the latest trend.
Rita looks to reinstate the importance of the symbols which become overlooked or accepted without question. She wants her work to have an intergenerational appeal. By awakening the importance of the symbolism for a younger generation, the older generation can see that the traditions are still valued. As she succinctly puts it, “It’s a reintroduction of our identity to my generation, but it’s also a remembrance for the older generation.”
Rita learned more about the umbrellas at the ministerial palace at Kumasi, who enthusiastically embraced the idea of exploring their cultural importance. The umbrella was also ideally suited to her as an artist; it allowed her to combine her love of textiles with her work as a photographer. It also offered collaborative opportunities, from traditional umbrella makers in Kumasi to photography teams and skilled embroiderers who ‘become painters’ through the intricacy of their work.
Rita Mawuena Benissan by Michael “Kwame Pocho” Dakwa.
How does this integrate her Ghanaian and American identities? Rita explains that the umbrella has a cross-cultural significance, from ceremonial bamboo umbrellas in Asia to the demarcation of sororities in American universities who proudly wear their badges of allegiance. The umbrella stands out in a crowd and makes a striking statement. In addition, she comments that for African Americans who hold vague notions of regal descendance, they discover that they have this ancestry. “The umbrella is literally the symbol of power and authority and who the individual is,” says Rita.
This passion to discover and reawaken a sense of cultural identity has also motivated another vital aspect of Rita’s work, the Si Hene archive, with the mission to ‘archive of the Chieftaincy and traditional culture of Ghana’. Through her research, she discovered that for Ghanaians without a connection to an institution, accessing information about chiefdoms could prove near impossible. Aided by the imposed isolation of COVID, Rita used the time to archive what she had discovered.
The Si Hene archive (Si Hene means town ruler in Akan) began on Instagram and is unique in its focus on Ghanaian chiefdoms. Rita is now looking to generate events, installations and artist talks, addressing the precept, ‘How do we preserve these artefacts, preserve this history, make it accessible?’ Some archives from her not-for-profit Si Hene Foundation are also displayed in the National Museum.
From her work with umbrellas to the Si Hene archive, Rita’s burning sense of the importance of culture to individual and collective identity permeates all that she does. “Culture should be part of your identity,” Rita argues. “Wherever you’re from, it should be lived within generations and generations of legacies and lineage. But when there’s a disconnect between identity and culture, that’s when people will say, ‘Okay, we need our culture’. But your culture is already there; you just have to figure out a way to connect it to your identity.”
Rita’s passion, warmth and commitment shone through in conversation with her. “I felt like the umbrella was just a way for me to express myself, but also reconnect myself, help other people reconnect with their identity as well as being Ghanaian.”
Her joyful celebration of culture breathes new life into traditional values and inspires us all to discover our unique ancestry – however regal or mundane.
See her work at thermbcollection.com
For Si Hene visit sihene.com
