Debut Solo Exhibition of Pem Lham Opens in Thimphu

On October 2, the debut solo exhibition of Pem Lham, The Molay Moley, opened in Thimphu.

As the Thimphu Tshechu fills the streets with celebration, a quieter unfolding is taking place: the first solo exhibition of Pem Lham, one of Bhutan’s emerging female voices in contemporary art. 

A graduate of Beaconhouse National University in Pakistan, Pem’s work explores identity, memory, and the weight of inherited stories—seen through a lens that is both deeply personal and unmistakably feminine. The Molay Moley moves fluidly between the seen and the sensed: playful, reflective, and quietly captivating.

VAST Bhutan warmly invites you to experience one of the year’s final solo shows—offering a rare glimpse into the evolving perspectives of Bhutanese women in art. Come by. Stay awhile. Allow the unexpected to surface. Exhibition dates: October 2 – November 2, 2025.

ABOUT PEM LHAM

Born in 1997 in Lhuentse, Bhutan, Pem Lham's work is rooted in the intersection of synthetic materials and oral folktales—two influences that shaped her early world. Through installations, painting, weaving, and embroidery, she engages in a tactile process of disassembling and reshaping discarded materials, using traditional craft to explore memory, identity, and transformation.

She received her BFA in Visual Arts from Beaconhouse National University in Pakistan, where she was honored to be a UMISAA fully-funded scholar. Her practice examines the tensions of gender dynamics and societal constraints. She seeks to challenge conventional narratives and opens space for reflection on misogyny, cultural oppression, and the stories we inherit and retell.

"We carry soft hearts through sharpened days, expected to give warmth to the very hands that bruise us. In a world that forgets its own cruelty, we hold on—not out of ease, but defiance. This is the quiet battle: to love, to endure, and to not let go." - says Pem Lham.

Explore Pem’s art HERE.