Unplug, step away from the chaos, and embark on a journey of self-knowledge and transformation with Awaken.
Awaken presents the Tibetan Buddhist path to enlightenment with 37 artworks from the 7th to the 21st century, drawn largely from the collections of the Rubin Museum of Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
As you navigate the exhibition, you learn how powerful artworks, such as sculptures, hanging scroll paintings, illuminated manuscript pages, and ritual items, help practitioners develop awareness and recognize that everything is interconnected. Inspired by the journey to awakening, you may begin to realize that your own perspective is changing and glimpse into what is known as the awakened state of mind.
Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment was originally curated by John Henry Rice, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter curator of South Asian and Islamic art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and Jeffrey Durham, associate curator of Himalayan Art, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.
Curated for the Rubin Museum by Elena Pakhoutova
Elena Pakhoutova is senior curator of Himalayan art at the Rubin Museum and holds a PhD in Asian art history from the University of Virginia. She has curated several exhibitions at the Rubin, including Death Is Not the End (2023), The Power of Intention: Reinventing the (Prayer) Wheel (2019), and The Second Buddha: Master of Time (2018).
Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment is organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment is supported by Barbara Bowman, the Ellen Bayard Weedon Foundation, The Prospect Hill Foundation, Bob and Lois Baylis, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, as well as by generous donations from the Museum’s Board of Trustees, individual donors, and members.
Your gateway to Himalayan art and its insights, with stories and news from the Rubin.