Photo by Yeshi Zangpo
Photo by Yeshi Zangpo
Bhutanese artist Pem Lham has won the 2026 Rubin Museum Himalayan Art Prize—the largest international award supporting contemporary art related to the Himalayan regions, with $30,000 in unrestricted funds.
Working in both painting and mixed media, Pem Lham is a “versatile” artist whose art reflects her “skill, whimsy, emotional depth, and a willingness to experiment and explore new forms of expression,” says Elena Pakoutova, Rubin Museum senior curator. Although Pem Lham draws from her own heritage in her work—often centering “Molay,” a spirit girl from Bhutanese mask dance traditions, to explore womanhood, power, and belonging—it is universally resonant.
Step into Pem Lham’s world and work in this new video:
Along with her home country Bhutan, Pem Lham has shown her work in Nepal, India, Belgium, France, Switzerland, and Taiwan. The prize raises the artist’s international profile, while also addressing the wider underrecognition of women artists from South Asia.
Pem Lham won the White Canvas Art Competition for emerging Asian artists in 2021 and had her first solo show in 2025, organized by the artist collective and nonprofit VAST (Voluntary Artists Studio, Thimphu) Bhutan. She has played an active role in the organization for over 16 years—first as a young person who was encouraged by VAST to pursue art, then helping Bhutanese youth cultivate their own artistic skills.
“As artists, there are moments when we wonder if our stories are reaching anyone, but this prize is a reminder that our voices matter and that there are always people connecting with the work we create,” Pem Lham says. “I hope this recognition inspires my fellow artists to continue creating, while supporting my own research, experimentation, and future projects.”
Pem Lham (b. 1997, Lhuentse, Bhutan; lives and works in Thimphu, Bhutan); She, untitled 9; Bhutan, 2026; Acrylic on canvas – 60.96×91.44cm. Photo courtesy of Yeshi Zangpo
The Rubin Himalayan Art Prize was launched in 2024 to support living artists whose work contributes to dialogues between Himalayan art and contemporary life. Tenzin Gyurmey Dorjee won the inaugural award, followed by Khadhok – Tibetan Artists’ Collective in 2025. The prize is part of a larger funding initiative by the Rubin, which also includes annual grants to artists and researchers whose work relates to the culture of the greater Himalayan region—part and parcel of its transformation as a global museum. This year’s grant recipients will be announced in October.
Pem Lham is a Bhutanese visual artist and winner of the 2026 Rubin Museum Himalayan Art Prize, whose practice explores folklore, gender, identity, and collective memory. She holds a bachelor of fine arts in visual arts from Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, Pakistan, and has been actively engaged with VAST Bhutan for more than 16 years.
Her work centers on “Molay,” a spirit girl from Bhutanese mask dance traditions, through whom she explores inherited narratives, women’s experiences, and contemporary identity. Her work has been exhibited across Bhutan, Nepal, India, Belgium, Switzerland, and Taiwan. Recent exhibitions include her solo exhibition Molay Moley (2025) at VAST Bhutan and She (2026) at Pristine Contemporary Gallery, Delhi.
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