The first International Nature Art Festival 2017 kicked off at Red House Jungle Resort, in Gaindakot, Nawalparasi, on Sunday. The five-day fest was inaugurated by Chancellor of Nepal Academy of Fine Arts Ragini Upadhyay amid a function.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Upadhyay said, “Given the fest has a unique focus—nature—it will go on to have a distinct mark on Nepali artscape, and on the campaign to preserve the nature and wildlife.”

“The role of nature in our daily life is undeniable,” Upadhyay went on, “Nature is a concern shared by people all around the world. We artists should start the conservation of nature through arts as a campaign.”

The fest will feature about three dozen artists hailing from countries such as Germany, Bangladesh and Nepal. The artists will create artworks based on the wildlives on the spot—the festival venue is a habitat for over 450 species of birds. The works thus created will be put on display towards the end of the fest.

Organised by Kalakriti Art Council, Nawalparasi, the fest aims to raise awareness among the public given the habitat for wildlife is deteriorating owing to global warming and other environmental hazards.

The fest features works by artists such as Ragini Upadhyay, Devendra Thumkeli, Bijaya Bisuwal, Sanjaya Rajput, Kamal Uddin, D Ram Palpali, SC Suman, DB Rai, Bhim Shrestha, Damodar Baral, Govinda Bahadur Binodi and Peter Harget, among others.

The works created at the fest will be put on display at Madhyabindu Campus, in Kawaswati, Nawalparasi.