Meena Kayastha, Goddess Varahi, 2023, traditional Nepali door, papier-mache, pliers, nails, coins, keys, jewelry, bell, discarded vehicle metal parts, 58 x 28 x 9 in.; photo courtesy of Meena Kayastha, Bhaktapur, Nepal; Roshan Pradhan, New World, 2021, acrylic on canvas, 183 x 152.5 cm; photo courtesy of Sangeeta Thapa, Founder Director Siddhartha Art Gallery, Kathmandu, Nepal; Shushank Shrestha, Male Guardian Lion Dog (one of a pair from Two Guardian Lion Dogs), 2023, ceramic, in glaze lustre; 52 × 27 × 44 in.; photo courtesy of Shuhank Shrestha, Massachusetts, USA
NEW EXHIBITION
Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now
March 15 – October 6, 2024
Opening Reception: Friday, March 15, 6-10pm (Free Ticketed Event)
Opening Weekend: Saturday, March 16 & Sunday March 17, 11am-5pm (Free Admission)
Contemplate and celebrate what Himalayan art means now with a Museum-wide exhibition of artworks by over 30 contemporary artists, many from the Himalayan region and diaspora and others inspired by Himalayan art and cultures.
On the occasion of the Rubin’s 20th anniversary, Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now transforms the entire Museum with new commissions, some site-specific, and existing works juxtaposed with objects from the Museum’s collection, inviting new ways of encountering traditional Himalayan art.
Through a wide range of media, including painting, sculpture, sound, video, installation, performance, and more, the artists explore their personal and collective histories and call attention to themes such as the fluidity of identity, spiritual practices, sense of belonging, grief, memory, and reclamation. The artists also offer critical and thoughtful commentary on issues facing humanity across time.
Also join for the opening weekend celebrations with free admission on Saturday, March 16 and Sunday, March 17!
To learn more, click here.
Green Tara (detail), 18th c., Tibet, pigments on cloth, 46 1/4 x 30 5/8 in., Rubin Museum of Art, Gift of Shelley and Donald Rubin
Gateway to Himalayan Art
June 11, 2021 – October 6, 2024
Gateway to Himalayan Art, curated by Elena Pakhoutova, introduces viewers to the main forms, concepts, meanings, and traditions of Himalayan art represented in the Rubin Museum collection.
To view the exhibition, click here.
The Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room
October 11, 2019 – October 6, 2024
Since it first opened, the Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room has been one of the most popular installations at the Rubin Museum, providing an immersive experience inspired by a traditional shrine. Art and ritual objects are displayed as they would in an elaborate private household shrine, a space used for offerings, devotional prayer, rituals, and contemplation. For Museum visitors, this richly detailed, immersive installation provides an oasis for peaceful contemplation at the heart of the Rubin Museum.
To view the exhibition, click here.
Masterworks: A Journey Through Himalayan Art
January 29, 2021 – October 6, 2024
This regularly changing exhibition at the Rubin explores major strands in the development of Himalayan art, covering a period of over one thousand years and featuring objects drawn primarily from the Rubin Museum’s collection.
To view the exhibition, click here.
Mandala Lab installation
Mandala Lab
October 1, 2021 – October 6, 2024
An Interactive Space for Social, Emotional, and Ethical Learning
The Mandala Lab, located on the Museum’s remodeled third floor, invites curiosity about our emotions. Consider how complex feelings show up in your everyday life and imagine how you might have the power to transform them. Inspired by powerful Buddhist principles, the Mandala Lab features five thought-provoking, playful experiences—including videos, scents, sculpture, and curated percussion instruments—that guide you along an inner journey focused on self-awareness and awareness of others. See, smell, touch, and breathe your way through the space, designed to inspire connection, empathy, and learning.
To learn more, click here.
Project Himalayan Art
Publication, Traveling Exhibition, and Digital Platform
This monumental initiative, which is now live, is the first project of its kind to offer comprehensive, introductory resources for learning about Himalayan art, with a focus on the cross-cultural exchange of Tibetan, Himalayan, and Inner Asian art and cultures. It features an expansive digital platform, traveling exhibition to university museums, and a cross-disciplinary publication featuring essays from 72 international scholars. The new digital platform is a hub to dive into the world of Himalayan art, including for students, teachers, scholars, or visitors looking to expand their understanding of Himalayan art and cultures. It features materials from the traveling exhibition, which opened this month at its first venue, Lehigh University Art Galleries, 108 object essays from the publication (available to pre-order today), videos, 360-degree object views, an interactive map, a glossary of hundreds of definitions, over 1,000 object images, and much more!
To learn more, click here.
