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“Do you know how the clouds hang poised?”
exhibition notes
2025
The slow life again takes centre stage in Nicole Tee’s new body of work. In Do you know how the clouds hang poised? Tee takes a pause to rejuvenate her relationship with God and in the midst of loneliness, confusion, and a broken heart, she is reminded that her true refuge lies in Him.
Alongside working on her pieces and carefully planning the pieces, in preparation for this exhibition — the largest solo presentation of the artist to date — Tee endeavoured to read the Bible more closely and intentionally spend more time with God, understanding herself more through gaining a deeper understanding of Him.
The title is an excerpt from the Book of Job¹, a question that reminded him, in his distress, to pause and consider the wonders of God—a reflection of His perfect knowledge. Similarly, in her rebellion against attempting to control the things she could not, Tee surrendered to God. Through the creation of the world and all that has been made, she is reminded of His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature²—and finds the peace to trust in His plans.
Art-making, and what comes along with it, is an antidote to the chaos of living in the city. Here, the deliberate, quiet reflection and communing with the Lord is similarly a means of refuge and source of solitude in the midst of the tumult of her inner life.
One of the ways that God makes Himself present to Tee is her experience of nature: “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.”³ For Do you know…, she chose to feature local scenes that captured its vastness and grandeur, pairing passages from her devotional reading with photographs from friends’ travels and her own encounters through her outdoor rock climbing.
In contrast to the often frenetic energy of the contemporary art world, Tee completely rejects this pace and elects to make work that inherently requires patience, time, and unyielding focus. Combining two methods — photo transfer and sewing — that demands her full attention, she is immersed in the work until she is finished. She spends time with each of the work, giving reverence to the scenes she wants to preserve.
Capturing a bird’s eye-view of Loboc River in Bohol, “Abundance” evokes the period before its development, honing in on the emerald green river, flanked by lush mountains and dense foliage. Focussing only on Loboc River, and void of any trace of man, Tee encapsulates the passage, John 1:3: “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” The river, before it was commercialised, was a vital food source and route for transporting supplies for the locals, and even now serves as a site for celebration. Lobocanons gather here for fiestas and religious events, playing music and singing prayers aboard their decorated boats. Still, without and after human intervention, the river flows and recuperates.
In “Closer to Heaven (After Jemima Yabes)” artist Jemima captured the coffins hung on the mountains on her hike in Sagada. Elevated above the ground, the highest coffins were believed to be closest to heaven. In “Immense (After Kitty Kaburo)” is a scene from one of artist Kitty’s trips to Negros. Drawn to the photo by the overwhelming scale of the island compared to the people, Tee recognises the enormity of the world in relation to us.
Do you know… features a series of images taken during her regular rock climbing trips to Wawa, Montalban, Rizal, having developed a passion for the sport over a year of consistent climbing. Aside from the physical strength it requires, the sport presents opportunities to hone technique and problem-solving. For Tee, it allows her the opportunity to become fully absorbed in the activity, as “the outside world fades away — it’s just me and the wall.”
The sun serves as the focal point for the works “So the evening and morning…”, where Tee selected a sunset in Negros and a sunrise in Masungi Georeserve. Both inspired by the creation story, the pair draws meaning from Genesis 1:31: “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Although Tee focusses on nature as a sign of God’s greatness, she also keeps humanity heavily featured in this body of work. The “Weekends at Wawa” series features various climbing trips with her friends. “Immense” reveals how small we may often feel in the Universe, and “Closer to Heaven” shows how far away we feel from heaven, even in death. However, in Psalm 36:6, another passage she reflected on while making these pieces, it says, “Your judgments are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast.”4
Through Do you know…, Tee allows us a moment to remember the greatness of God, and how He knows the plans He has for us. In this turbulent time, she recalls Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
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