Bhutanese contemporary artist Pem Lham has received the 2026 Rubin Museum Himalayan Art Prize, one of the major international awards supporting contemporary artistic practice connected to the Himalayan region. Her Majesty Queen Jetsun presented the award to Pem at a ceremony held at VAST Bhutan in Thimphu on September 11. The prize carries an unrestricted cash award of US$30,000.
Established in 2024, the annual prize recognises artists and collectives whose work connects Himalayan artistic traditions with contemporary life. Pem is the third recipient, following Tibetan artist Tenzin Gyurmey Dorjee in 2024 and Tibetan artists’ collective Khadhok in 2025. Pem’s practice explores folklore, gender, identity, memory and lived experience. Working mainly in painting and mixed media, she frequently draws on Bhutanese cultural narratives. Her work reinterprets Molay, a female spirit associated with Bhutanese mask dance traditions, to explore themes of womanhood, power, identity and belonging.
Associated with VAST Bhutan for more than 16 years, Pem holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Arts from Beaconhouse National University in Lahore, Pakistan. Her work has been exhibited in Bhutan and internationally. Her first solo exhibition, Molay Moley, was presented by VAST Bhutan in Thimphu in 2025.The Rubin Museum launched the prize as part of its broader international programme supporting contemporary artists, researchers and scholars connected with Himalayan art and culture. The museum, founded in New York in 2004 by collectors Shelley Frost Rubin and Donald Rubin, now operates as a global institution following the closure of its permanent New York building in 2024.
The award ceremony was jointly organised by VAST Bhutan and the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art. The recognition also highlights Bhutan’s growing contemporary art scene, where traditional artistic heritage continues to provide a foundation for new forms of artistic expression.