Driven by an insatiable desire to conquer Olympian heights, this seeker of an unnamed utopia is in a state of perpetual torment; stretched apart by the forces of time and history, but too numb to feel his own pain. In his relentless pursuit, he seals our fate, conscripting us in the stories of glorious but ill-fated empires that eventually crumble into dust. As a society, we are obsessed with the idea of progress, but there is a vast chasm between what we aspire to and the reality we inhabit. This painting attempts to render the emotions – the anger, despair, and self-torment that is caused by our desires.

Varunika Saraf