NEW YORK, NY.- 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. 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, 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 daily spiritual traditions. 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.
“It’s no secret that public artwork thrives when it represents the community it serves—and IMAGINE’s magnificent sculpture will help foster a sense of pride and belonging for the Tibetan and Nepalese communities of Jackson Heights, while also welcoming the millions of people who pass through Diversity Plaza each year, said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “We thank IMAGINE and the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art for enlivening our streets through public art.”
"Jackson Heights is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the world, with a growing and vibrant Himalayan community. Diversity Plaza is a public space for cultural celebrations and civic engagement, and I'm proud that we will soon have public art there that reflects the beauty of our immigrant neighbors. I'm thankful to DOT, IMAGINE, and the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art for investing in Diversity Plaza, making art accessible in our community, and for celebrating Jackson Heights," said Council Member Shekar Krishnan, District 25.
About a Living Culture is IMAGINE’s second installation with the Rubin Museum. In 2024, her work was featured in the group show and final exhibition in the Rubin’s 17th Street building, Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now (March 15–October 6, 2024), which later traveled to Wrightwood 659 in Chicago (November 8, 2024–February 15, 2025).
“I am thrilled to collaborate once again with the remarkable IMAGINE for her newest sculpture in New York City,” says Michelle Bennett Simorella, Rubin Museum Director of Global Projects and Collections. “In our new model as a decentralized, global museum, the Rubin is committed to supporting living artists and making Himalayan art accessible in innovative ways. This partnership with NYC DOT Art builds on this vision in one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city. It’s wonderful to bring IMAGINE’s art to life and provide New Yorkers of all backgrounds with a moment of inspiration.”
A central component of the Rubin’s transformation into a decentralized, global museum is the formation of strategic partnerships, increasing the number of people who can access and experience Himalayan art in New York and globally. This new model also includes traveling exhibitions such as Gateway to Himalayan Art, which is touring nationally and next opens at the Flaten Art Museum at St. Olaf College in September; expanded resources for artists and scholars, including the annual Rubin Museum Himalayan Art Prize, grant programs, and Rubin Museum Distinguished Lecture of Himalayan Art at the Met; multimedia educational initiatives like Project Himalayan Art; Mandala Lab curriculum lessons taught in New York City classrooms; and long-term loans and collaborations such as the Rubin Museum Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room at the Brooklyn Museum, which opened on June 11 and is on view for six years.
