Artist : Ariya Kitticharoenwiwat
Technique : Stainless steel and titanium
Year : 2019

First Adolescent is a fluid stainless steel sculpture by artist-educator Professor Ariya Kitticharoenwiwat. Well known for his flowing metal sculptures and impressive techniques, his other recognisable works include 2011’s The Nature on My Mind large scale stainless steel sculpture that elegantly stands at 4.5 metres, giving an impression of intertwined lotus buds moving with the wind and water.

Capturing a certain feeling with his artworks, Ariya picks up on subtle movements, the small yet significant changes within nature and the human behaviour. Through his sculptures, he recreates these curious moments that embody a unique beauty, one that he discovered within minute details. First Adolescent was created exactly based on that. 

It is a piece that is inspired by the moment he noticed a shift in his own daughter’s energy and concentration. Suddenly, her childlike gestures are replaced with a more controlled and purposeful action. This development is captured in the sculpture, narrating the changing curiosities in a young girl’s life when she reaches a certain age. The excitement of doing her hair and observing herself in the mirror is expressed in the sculpture’s curves and rhythm of each ripple on the metal’s texture. The youthfulness mixed with unbroken innocence can be felt within the sculpture’s body language and form. 

A celebration of sort, First Adolescent captures the joy of discovery, a moment that would be the new beginning in a young girl’s journey into womanhood.