ArTree Nepal was formed between 2012 and 2013, at the turn of the millennium and during a pivotal moment in Nepal’s history. Emerging in the aftermath of the decade-long People’s War and the mass protests that sought to dismantle monarchical power, the collective took shape amid a political climate that had long upheld a singular national identity centered on the monarchy, Hinduism, and the Nepali language—an identity that erased and delegitimized diverse histories.

In this political cauldron and amid the formative years of the Federalism movement, five artists came together to form ArTree Nepal, each from a different Indigenous background: Lavkant Chaudhary (Tharu), Hit Man Gurung (Tamu), Mekh Limbu (Yakthung), Sheelasha Rajbhandari (Newa), and Subas Tamang (Tamang). The collective became a space to voice shared anxieties and feelings of non-belonging, as they sought to make sense of their Indigeneity and understand/interrogate codified histories.

Rooted in a politics of reclamation, acceptance, and celebration of identities long relegated to the margins, ArTree sought to question dominant narratives and imagine alternative ways of being and creating. Guided by egalitarian values, ArTree shares finances, space, resources, and decisions equally among all members. Through this practice, the artists reflected on what it means to engage with Indigeneity, define art outside imposed frameworks, and move beyond categories that often exoticize or diminish lived knowledge and worldviews.