Sneha Shrestha, courtesy of the artist
Sneha Shrestha, courtesy of the artist
On September 6 the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, in partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation Art Program, NYC DOT Art, will unveil a new temporary public art installation by Nepalese artist IMAGINE (a.k.a. Sneha Shrestha) in Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights, Queens. For her first public art sculpture, IMAGINE has created a six-foot-tall installation in the shape of a golden arch made of repeating rows of ‘Ka,’ the first letter of the Nepali alphabet. Titled About a Living Culture, the artwork is a celebration of the artist’s Nepalese heritage and inspired by the diverse Himalayan cultures of the neighborhood.
IMAGINE, who is from Nepal and currently works in Boston and Kathmandu, creates sculptures, paintings, and public murals around the world that often incorporate her native language and blend the aesthetics of Sanskrit scriptures with graffiti art. Her distinctive style accentuates the Devanagari script—used to write languages such as Nepali, Sanskrit, and Hindi—creating meditative artworks that transform spaces.
For About a Living Culture, IMAGINE continues her exploration of the repeating Devanagari script, with cut-out steel renderings of the letter ‘Ka,’ but this time the artwork takes a sculptural form and is combined with the symbol of the archway. In Nepal, vernacular architecture often incorporates arched thresholds that guide movement through space and reflect visual and symbolic connections to traditional daily rituals. These structures quietly shape rhythms of everyday experiences. IMAGINE’s sculpture invites New Yorkers into a space of reflection and belonging as they travel through Diversity Plaza, a bustling social, cultural, commercial, and transit hub (home to the E, F, M, R, and 7 subway lines) located in one of New York City’s most diverse and densely populated neighborhoods. Pedestrianized in 2012, Diversity Plaza attracts millions of locals and tourists annually and serves as a central gathering space for the growing Tibetan and Nepalese communities.
“This sculpture is an homage to the Himalayan diaspora’s living traditions. Through the interplay of light, form, and script, it creates a contemplative space that honors ancestral roots while embracing the diverse narratives of Jackson Heights,” says artist IMAGINE.
About a Living Culture will be on view September 6, 2025, to January 4, 2026, in Diversity Plaza at Roosevelt Avenue and Broadway in Queens.
IMAGINE (a.k.a. Sneha Shrestha) is a Nepali artist who incorporates her native language and the aesthetics of Sanskrit scriptures into her work. Her art has been featured in several exhibitions, and her public walls appear across the world from Kathmandu to Boston. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, acquired her painting Home416, making her the first contemporary Nepali artist to be part of the museum’s collection. She is a recipient of the 2025 James and Audrey Foster Prize and her work will be presented at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, beginning August 25, 2025. Sneha Shrestha received her master’s degree from Harvard University.
Diversity Plaza
Jackson Heights, NYC
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