Artist Varad Ajay Bang was born in India in 1999.

Held in the Glow of You is one of a collection of 18 paintings titled The Weight of Love. The collection explores themes of hidden desires, heartbreak, and unfulfilled love - a homage to the 1960s aesthetic of Hong Kong Director Wong Kar-wai’s award winning film, In the Mood for Love.

The painter says that his work is “deeply personal, informed not only by my own experiences but also by the stories I encounter through literature, film, and the nuances of daily life. In recent years, my focus has turned to the turbulence of love - its presence and absence, the way it lingers in spaces, and the tension it leaves behind in its wake. I am fascinated by the quiet, unspoken dialogues that unfold between people, and how these exchanges, or lack thereof, define the emotional landscape of our lives.”.

Ajay Bang originally studied architecture before applying to the Florence Academy of Art where he trained in classical Renaissance techniques. He currently lives and works in Aurangabad.

Using painting as a medium, Bang’s work delves into the emotional, social, and economic complexities of urban life, using painting as a medium to capture the ephemeral nature of human presence. He says “I am drawn to the subtle, often overlooked moments that punctuate our everyday interactions - how a gaze lingers just a second longer, the quiet tension between strangers or loved ones, and the unsaid words that shape the undercurrents of our relationships.”.

Renaissance as defined by Tate:

French word meaning rebirth, now used in English to describe the great revival of art that took place in Italy from about 1400 under the influence of the rediscovery of classical art and culture. The Renaissance reached its peak (known as the High Renaissance) in the short period from about 1500–1530 in the work of Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael.