Australian artist CJ Hendry has once again challenged the boundaries of immersive art with her latest installation, Flower Market, an exorbitant collaboration with luxury beauty brand Clé de Peau Beauté. Taking place in New York City, the exhibit is housed in an expansive greenhouse and stages 100,000 plush flowers that pay homage to the botanicals found in the lauded skincare brand’s products.
“When working with an extraordinary brand like Clé de Peau Beauté, the key elements of their beautiful products were a natural starting point for me. So, we kept coming back to building a concept around flowers,” explains CJ Hendry.
The installation presents a frivolous take on the natural world, allowing viewers to foray into an imaginative, plush-filled paradise. “The flowers we have created are plush; they’re not real, but by creating them on a grand scale, we can evoke a feeling beyond the singular. I enjoy bringing a childlike lens to my exhibitions,” Hendry adds.
At the heart of this fastidious display is the radiant lily, a botanical that mirrors the essence (both literally and metaphorically) behind The Serum. “The meticulous craftsmanship in CPB’s products resonates with me and mirrors my process,” Hendry notes. Complementing this symbolic flower are 12 original drawings by the artist, respectively exploring themes of beauty, artifice and the grandeur of our natural environment.
Not your average Quarters in New York City
When Clé de Peau Beauté approached Hendry for what was inaugurally considered to be an intimate social media activation, the project fleetingly evolved into something far grander. “It felt unheard of that a brand on the level of Clé de Peau Beauté would take on a concept like this, so we were incredibly grateful,” Hendry shares. This collaboration symbolises an intersection between luxury beauty and contemporary art, highlighting the common values of creative expression and the power of the image.
The Flower Market is imbued with historical references, paying tribute to the Roosevelt family. Bouquets of plush Eleanor Roosevelt Roses, Tulips for the family’s Dutch heritage, red Roses symbolising the Roosevelt name, and Peonies, the signature flower of the Roosevelt farm, populate the greenhouse. Visitors are invited to pick a plush flower to take home, extending the exhibition’s tactile, immersive experience beyond the park itself.
Speaking to the setting, Hendry draws inspiration from the very landscape in which her work resides: “When the architect Louis Kahn designed this memorial, he said, ‘The garden is somehow a personal kind of control of nature.’ A lot of my work, and in this exhibition especially, is about manipulating my environments and building a space that takes participants out of their ordinary. I hope Flower Market inspires joy and beauty well after the greenhouse is empty, every time we see flowers – plush or otherwise.”
With a strong ability to engage her audience through physical interaction and emotional resonance is what sets Flower Market and Hendry’s oeuvre apart. “It’s important for me to stay true to my brand,” says Hendry. “By incorporating my childlike sensibility with the elegance and quality of Clé de Peau Beauté, we arrive at plush.”
Alessio Rossi, Executive Vice President of Clé de Peau Beauté US Marketing, expresses his excitement for this collaboration, stating: “This partnership embodies the essence of our brand, known for its intelligence, uncompromising standards, and exquisite quality. CJ Hendry’s remarkable ability to engage audiences through her masterful craftsmanship and thought-provoking social commentary on luxury perfectly resonates with our values.”
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