Embroidered Worlds: Chonon Bensho’s Language of Heritage and Self

There exists a particular kind of artistic courage in the act of stitching. Each thread pulled through cloth becomes an act of preservation and invention at once, a conversation between what was inherited and what one chooses to create. Peruvian artist Chonon Bensho works within this generative tension, her embroidered pieces existing in a space where traditional Indigenous designs meet contemporary expression, where visible realities merge with invisible worlds.

Her approach to the needle and thread speaks to something deeper than craft alone. Through her work, Bensho maintains a living connection to heritage whilst simultaneously forging a visual language entirely her own. The embroidery becomes both archive and manifesto: a way of honouring ancestral knowledge whilst declaring her own distinct voice.

‘Through embroidery, I seek to keep this heritage alive while developing my own artistic language,’ Bensho explains, articulating the philosophy that moves through every stitch. This is not nostalgia. It is instead an active, deliberate act of cultural stewardship paired with artistic autonomy, a refusal to see tradition and innovation as opposing forces.

At Frieze Abu Dhabi, Bensho’s work appears within Focus, a curated section of the fair that brings such nuanced artistic practice to the fore. Presented in collaboration with W.W.W. Galeria, her pieces invite visitors to contemplate the intricate negotiations between self and heritage, between what we inherit and what we make our own. In Abu Dhabi’s thriving cultural landscape, her embroidered explorations add another layer to the ongoing conversation about artistic identity, cultural continuity and creative expression in our contemporary moment.

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