Ghanaian-American interdisciplinary artist Rita Mawuena Benissan works explores the identities of Africans and African Americans while showcasing the profound beauty and power of black culture.

Born in Abidjan Côte D'Ivoire in 1995, she immigrated to the United States as a baby. Benissan grew up in many parts of Michigan. She received a Bachelor of Fine arts in Apparel and Textile Design at Michigan State University in 2017. During her undergrad, she has worked with nonprofit and community outreach programs including the Children Defense Fund and United Methodist Youth Alliance, which gave her the opportunity to teach and create art with student from marginalized areas. She is currently attending the University of Wisconsin- Madison, where she is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in photography. She has had exhibitions at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, Baltimore Gallery in Detroit Michigan, the Birmingham-Bloomfield Art center in Birmingham, Michigan and University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, Wisconsin.