TULIP PALEPAI
2017
Commissioned Artwork
Centraal Station,
Amsterdam, NL
For this hallway in Centraal
Station, Tee proposed a
tapestry constructed of
dried tulip petals that
integrates two elements:
the iconic Dutch tulip
and the large textiles
from southern Sumatra
known as palepai (ship)
cloths. The Ship Cloths are
ethnographic artifacts from
a long history of trade.
These intricate textiles
became expressions of
culture, used in rites of
passage. The predominant
motif is that of a ship. The
image suggests the idea of
human souls in motion to
new lives, or the afterlife.
Tee’s design will tell its
own story of travelling;
incorporating images taken
from Dutch scenery,
this tulip petal tapestry
serves as an abstract
narrative.
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