Nepalese Artist Amrit Karki's Soil Carpets on Ladakh Roofs

Nepalese artist Amrit Karki has created a site-specific installation titled 'Rising from the Soil, Soaring to the Sky' for the 2026 sā Ladakh Biennale in Ladakh, India. The work, spanning 1,008 square feet across the roofs of two adjacent houses in the village of Lamayuru, recreates traditional Himalayan carpet designs using soil and pigments. The Rubin Museum, as an art partner for the biennale, supported a residency and the creation of this new work. In an interview with Rubin Museum Executive Director Jorrit Britschgi, Karki discussed his inspiration from the region's diverse soil colors, the ephemeral nature of the piece, and his desire for greater connectivity between artistic communities in Nepal and Ladakh. Karki noted the challenges of gathering soil in the fragile landscape, ultimately using local soil enriched with oxides and other pigments. He also reflected on the impermanence of the work, which is subject to weather and foot traffic, and the auspiciousness of the total area, 1,008 square feet, a number significant in Hinduism and Buddhism. Karki, born in Pokhara in 1990, has previously exhibited internationally, including at the 2017 Kathmandu Triennale and the 2018 Asian Art Biennale. The Rubin Museum, based in New York, has supported this project as part of its mission to deepen awareness of Himalayan art and cultures.