Chakrasamvara with Consort Vajravarahi; Kham province, eastern Tibet; 19th century; Pigments on cloth; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; Gift of the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation; F1997.7.2 (HAR 99)

Gateway to Himalayan Art
Closing Sunday, July 27, 2025
Utah Museum of Fine Arts, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

There’s still time to experience Gateway to Himalayan Art, the Rubin Museum’s traveling exhibition, currently on view at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts before it closes on July 27. This engaging showcase introduces the central forms, concepts, meanings, and vibrant living traditions of Himalayan art.

Gateway to Himalayan Art is a flexible exhibition designed to meet the needs of diverse educational institutions, art museums, and their audiences. It serves as an entry point to the integrated components of Project Himalayan Art (a three-part initiative comprising a traveling exhibition, publication, and digital platform), highlighting a thematic approach for teaching and engagement with objects.

The exhibition’s three areas of focus are Symbols and Meanings, Materials and Technologies, and Living Practices. Traditional scroll paintings (thangkas), sculptures in various media, and ritual items comprise the diverse range of objects on view. Among the featured installations are in-depth displays that explain the process of Nepalese lost-wax metal casting and the stages of Tibetan thangka painting. Multimedia features include videos of art making and religious and cultural practices, audio recordings of voices from Himalayan communities that highlight the living traditions, and much more on the integrated digital platform that offers rich contextual material to dive deeper.

To learn more and view the full exhibition’s traveling schedule, click here.