The Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, which closed its brick and mortar New York space in 2024 and now operates as a “global museum,” has named the recipient of its annual art prize, as well as the grantees for its research and art projects.
The winner of the 2025 Rubin Museum Himalayan Art Prize is Khadhok – Tibetan Artists’ Collective. As part of the annual prize, which was established in 2024, recipients receive a $30,000 purse, making it the largest of its kind to support Himalayan artists. Winners are selected on the basis of having made “a mark in creative and critically relevant dialogues between Himalayan art and contemporary life,” according to a release.
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Established in 2023, Khadhok is an artist collective based in Dharamshala, India, that offers dedicated space to contemporary visual artists to work on their practices. Its founding members include Lea Taake, Tashi Nyima, and Tenzin Melak. Photo by Tenzin Dorjee; they were inspired to form the group by the late Tibetan artist Jigme Choedak.
“We were deeply moved when we first heard about the award,” Khadhok’s founding members said in a statement. “As a young collective, being recognized by an institution with such a long history in Himalayan art makes us feel truly seen and valued. This recognition strengthens our confidence and encourages us to keep growing. Most importantly, it changes what is possible for Khadhok, allowing us to build a strong foundation that truly lasts and supports artists and our community for many years to come.”
The Rubin’s 2025 Research and Art Projects grantees were also selected with 15 projects receiving $200,000 total. Also launched in 2024, the grant program supports art and research initiatives that promote the rich cultural legacy and living traditions of the Himalayan regions. The 15 projects were selected from 132 total applications, with grants ranging in cost from $3,000 to $25,000, depending on the scale, impact, and needs of each respective project. The full list of grantees is listed below.
“Working with Himalayan art and living artists has been part of our approach since the Rubin was founded in 2004,” Jorrit Britschgi, executive director of the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, said in a statement. “As a museum without walls we hope to increase visibility and awareness of Tibetan and Himalayan art globally.”
Together, the Rubin Art Prize and Rubin Grants will provide $230,000 in direct support to artists and researchers working in connection to the Himalayan region.
The full list of Rubin Art Grantees is as follows:
Nawang Tsering & Jamyang Tenzin
Tibetan School Art Curriculum: Teaching Resources & Materials for Art Educators
$22,000
VAST Bhutan
The Lungta Art Festival (LAF) 2026
$15,000
Tenzin Tsering (Tenzoni)
Threads of Camp Mountain
$15,000
Khyenle
Lima Bronze Snow Leopard Art Project – Recycling with Cultural Heritage
$18,000
White Crane Films (Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam)
The Earth Is My Witness
$12,000
Human Clay Productions CIC
Weaving the Threads of Bhutanese Heritage
$18,500
Lujan Rai Dongol
Wheel of Life – A Contemporary Reimagining of Samsara
$5,000
The full list of Rubin Research Grantees is as follows:
Studio Nyandak
Documenting and Safeguarding Zanskar’s Buddhist Heritage
$25,000
Treasure Caretaker Training
Preservation of Buddhist Art in Mongolia: Research and Training for Painters and Community Members in Charge of Conservation in Remote Areas
$20,000
Loden Foundation
Documenting Thangkas and Religious Artifacts of Sumtrhang Samdrup Chödzong
$19,500
Chiara Bellini (with Edoardo Ferrari and Sabrina Ciolfi)
Feeding the Fire or Worshipping the Ashes? Divergent and Controversial Approaches to the Restoration of Himalayan Artworks
$12,500
Dawa Gyalpo, Tandin Paljor, and Shiriin Barakzai
Documenting Cham Dances in Kham
$6,250
Kalzang Dorjee Bhutia
Reuniting the Temple: Recovering and Returning Sikkimese Buddhist Knowledge and Material Culture from Museums to Mountains
$5,250
Suyog Prajapati
Assembling Courtyard Cities: Architecture and Monasticism in the Kathmandu Valley (ca. 15th–18th Century)
$3,000
Briana Brightly
Anatomy of the Buddha: Visualizing the Body in Tibetan Medicine, 1687–1900
$3,000