In the 1990s—when Thai contemporary artists began to question the relationship between nature, industry, and conservation—𝑬𝒍𝒆𝒑𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝑻𝒖𝒔𝒌𝒔 𝑵𝒐.1 (1996) by Ariya Kitticharoenwiwat emerged as one of the most powerful sculptures of the decade.

The artist abstracts elephant tusks into sweeping curves, welded steel, and layered forms that seem to move despite their weight and rigidity. The work contrasts industrial material with one of Thailand’s most revered natural symbols, capturing strength and fragility in a single gesture.

“I felt many stories within the elephant, a creature that serves as a symbol of the nation—an animal of immense value. Yet at times it is destroyed in exchange for the preciousness found within its own body, deemed worthy of possession by humans before the rightful time.” said the artist

This sculpture was awarded the Gold Medal (Sculpture) at the 42nd National Exhibition of Art (1996), and remains a key work reflecting Thailand’s shifting attitudes toward nature and cultural symbolism in that era.