We Are Connected: Highlights from the USC Pacific Asia Museum Himalayan Collection

We Are Connected explores how the peoples of the Himalayas have understood their relationships with one another, the natural world, and the spiritual realm through centuries of artistic expression. Drawn primarily from the USC Pacific Asia Museum's substantial Himalayan collection, the exhibition features about 42 works, including paintings, sculptures, ritual objects, textiles, and works of decorative art—many on view for the first time in decades—revealing ideas of interconnectedness unique to the cultures in Tibet, Nepal, and parts of India and China. Organized around themes of the cosmos, communal celebration, and the connections between humans and animals, the exhibition explores Buddhist concepts of spiritual transformation, the role of art and ritual in bringing communities together, and the presence of mythical and sacred figures such as the Snow Lion, Garuda, and Ganesha. Together, the works invite visitors to reflect on humanity's relationship with the environment, the animal world, and one another. We Are Connected invites us to look beyond individual objects from USC Pacific Asia Museum's collection and consider the relationships that give them meaning, said Sonya S. Lee, professor of art history, East Asian languages and cultures and religion at USC and curator of the exhibition. It offers me a creative new way to bring my research on Buddhist art, material culture, and art and ecology to a public audience, and to invite people of all backgrounds to explore how these histories and traditions shape our understanding of connection. This exhibition is presented in conjunction with Gateway to Himalayan Art, organized by the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art.