Chakrasamvara with Consort Vajravarahi (detail); Kham region, eastern Tibet; 19th century; Pigments on cloth; 33 x 23 in.; Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art; Gift of the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation; F1997.7.2 (HAR 99)

Gateway to Himalayan Art
February 21 – July 5, 2026
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

The Rubin’s traveling exhibition Gateway to Himalayan Art continues its national tour of university museums, opening at the University of Oregon February 21!

The exhibition is part of the Museum’s educational initiative Project Himalayan Art which is designed to support the inclusion of Himalayan, Tibetan, and Inner Asian art and cultures in undergraduate teaching on Asia. Featuring up to 80 objects from the Rubin’s collection, the exhibition acquaints professors, students, and local visitors with the fundamental visual language and meanings of Himalayan art and offers tools to understand Buddhist concepts and artistic techniques.

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, click here.