Tibetan Art Collective Khadhok Wins 2025 Rubin Museum Prize

The Rubin Museum’s 2025 Himalayan Art Prize has been awarded to Khadhok, the Tibetan artists’ collective founded in 2023 by Lea Taake, Tashi Nyima, and Tenzin Melak.

The 30,000 USD award, now in its second year, is the largest international prize for artists working in or in dialogue with the Himalayan region.

Khadhok—meaning ‘colour’ in Tibetan—was conceived as a space for emerging Tibetan artists working under conditions of exile. The collective’s name and ethos pay homage to the late artist Jigme Choedak (1997–2023), whose mentorship of emerging Tibetan artists helped shape a new wave of cultural self-representation.

Khadhok’s activities span exhibitions, mural projects, youth workshops, and artist talks, with an emphasis on community, process, and dialogue.

‘We feel truly seen and valued,’ say the founding members in a joint statement. ‘This recognition,’ they add, ‘changes what is possible for Khadhok, allowing us to build a strong foundation that . . . supports artists and our community for many years to come.’

Art in Tibet has historically found expression through collective, gallery-based initiatives such as Sweet Tea House—founded in Lhasa in the mid-1980s and later revived in London by Gonkar Gyatso—and the Gendun Choephel Artists’ Guild, established in 2003. These spaces marked the first generation of artists engaging contemporary practice from within Tibet.

The Rubin Art Prize announcement coincides with Khadhok’s annual exhibition As the Mind Wishes, opening on 25 October in McLeod Ganj and featuring 22 artists from across the diaspora. Situated in the foothills of the Himalayas, Dharamsala has long served as both a spiritual and political sanctuary, and as a living site of cultural continuity amid displacement.

The Rubin Museum has additionally announced new grants for artists and researchers across Himalayan communities, including the filmmakers and founders of the Dharamsala International Film Festival Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, whose work builds cinematic solidarity across South Asia.

The announcements also come as the Rubin Museum transitions into a ‘museum without walls’ following the closure of its New York space earlier this year, with parts of its collection—such as the Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room—now on long-term loan to the Brooklyn Museum.

Last year’s inaugural Himalayan Art Prize was awarded to Tenzin Gyurmey Dorjee, signalling a growing recognition of Tibetan voices shaping the future of Himalayan contemporary art. —[O]

Main image: Khadhok – Tibetan Artists’ Collective founding members Lea Taake, Tashi Nyima, and Tenzin Melak. Courtesy Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art. Photo: Tenzin Dorjee.