About a Living Culture

Nepalese artist IMAGINE (a.k.a. Sneha Shrestha) presents a new temporary public art installation that celebrates and takes inspiration from the diverse Himalayan cultures of the Jackson Heights, Queens, neighborhood. From Kathmandu, Nepal, and working between Boston and Kathmandu, IMAGINE creates public murals around the world that often incorporate her native language while meshing the aesthetics of Sanskrit scriptures with a graffiti art style. She has shown her meditative artworks, including sculptures, in several museums including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, where her work was featured as part of _Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now_. For her first public art sculpture, IMAGINE has created an installation in the shape of an arch made of repeating rows of 'Ka,' the first letter of the Nepali alphabet. In Nepal, religious and sacred environments feature variations in the form of archways, which encourage passersby to look through and get blessings from the divine. 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. _About a Living Culture_ is a NYC DOT Art Community Commission in partnership with the Rubin. Community Commissions is a signature NYC DOT Art initiative in which the agency collaborates with community-based organizations to commission artists to design and install temporary public art on NYC DOT infrastructure citywide.