PLAID: Exploring the Exciting Technicolored World of Cj Hendry

Cj Hendry released her newest exhibit, Plaid, a hyper-realistic set of colored-pencil drawings mimicking paintings and a sophisticated adult playground.

Cj Hendry was once known for her huge, black-and-white, hyper-realistic works that portrayed luxury items. Nowadays, though, the New York-based artist is more colorful than ever. From her line of paint blot drawings in 2017 to her Rorschach exhibit in 2019, it seems that the artist is reaching a new chapter altogether. “As an artist, I’m always influenced by what is around me, no matter what stage of life I’m in. In the beginning of my career, I worked in luxury and was obsessed with luxury, and that’s what I drew. I don’t feel that way anymore,” she expressed in a press statement.

Previously, she even told Art Unplugged that “My favorite drawings are often where I create the image as opposed to drawing an object that can be purchased.”

This time, Hendry continues working with what has become her signature colored pencil medium, but with a twist: much like her iconic paint blots, she opens up Plaid with a line of drawings mimicking plaid-patterned paintings.

The first thing the viewer sees, though, is not her drawings but the massive playground that tempts them. White foam pits, slides, a ball pit, swings, a carousel, and a yellow trampoline. All of this is outlined with multi-colored plastic, making the lines of the playground visually represent the plaid patterning of her art. The entire exhibit is to scale, making the observer feel as though they are truly a child again – small, curious, and adventurous. In a press statement, she described the playground as a “public art sculpture.”

On Twitter, one viewer described how they feel like a toddler again in Hendry’s space.

Slightly guilty going to this CJ Hendry interactive art exhibit without my toddler but when do I get to be a toddler? pic.twitter.com/1R7R2vaQGf

— Morgan Visconti (@morganvisconti) April 13, 2023

She keeps the exhibit an airy all-white, with her own splashes of color strategically littered through. It’s cool, minimalistic, and utterly complex. Her colored-pencil work is undetectable to the casual viewer (and honestly, even the dedicated viewer).

Hendry’s dedication to the nuance of paint is thoroughly impressive. She leaves no paint splatter untouched, and no glint of light is spared from her colored-pencil recreations. There is something satirical about it – moving from darker, more recognizable subjects to the more abstract works she exhibits in Plaid. And, of course, the choice to painstakingly recreate in pencil took her a mere fraction of the time to create with paint. She uses expert precision to portray something that is fun and messy. Perhaps she is showing that minimalism and playfulness can be equally as compelling and complex as the subjects of her earlier works.

Perhaps, also, Plaid is Hendry’s way of connecting with something innate. In a statement made to the press, Hendry emphasized her desire to connect with her “inner child.” She spoke on Plaid’s similarities to her previous exhibition, Epilogue, which showcased hyper-realistic flowers in both pencil and statue form, complete with petal-like confetti. “Whilst they are all visually and conceptually very different, they all evoke and encourage the viewer to connect with their inner child and experience the simplicity of those emotions of joy and euphoria before growing up and feeling the burden of adulthood,” she opened up.

Hendry’s attachment to playfulness and her “inner child” is reminiscent of early learning concepts about play. While it may seem silly, play is actually one of the most important concepts in growing as a child. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength […] It is through play that children at a very early age engage and interact in the world around them.”

With her 2-story, 5,000-square-foot adult playground, Hendry certainly encourages her audience to play. When asked in a press statement about what audiences should expect, the artist eagerly announces that “they can expect to come and Play!” And through play, she encourages her audience to grow, to understand themselves and each other a little better, and to remember what might have been lost over the years.

On her Instagram, the artist was extensively transparent about the process of creating the entire exhibit. The precision of her work cannot be better captured than in her process of turning paint into pencil:

This is not the first time Hendry has created immersive sets for her art. For her Monochrome exhibit, the artist demonstrated her love for interior design by creating giant monochromatic sets. Perhaps most memorable is the bouncy castle that prefaced her Rorschach exhibit. In a press statement, Hendry admitted that “I would love for each original artwork to only be able to be viewed as the entire experience. It brings such a greater depth to the genre of hyperrealism. On a selfish level, I am bored by traditional galleries hanging artwork on white walls. I want to really understand the artists’ vision, and that’s what I try to create with my exhibitions.”

The creation of Plaid was done mostly in collaboration with her friends and family. Her team is made up of her close acquaintances and supported by her mother. She has kept career-long supporters at her side and shares the love she has with them. One post even showcases a stunning set of Plaid-inspired nail art.

Hendry’s world is hers. It is inspired by her children, her friends, her family, her passions, and her talents. She invites you to play in it, to understand it, and to understand yourself. She is pushing the boundaries of contemporary art (down a slide, of course).

Plaid ran from April 14 to April 23 in Brooklyn, New York. Fans can follow Hendry on Instagram for more information on the artist. Visit her official website for merch, designs, and artwork.