This weekend — and only this weekend — 100,000 flowers are in bloom on New York’s Roosevelt Island.
Artist Cj Hendry and Clé de Peau Beauté have unveiled “Flower Market,” their immersive installation of plush flowers, at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park. Visitors are invited to “pick” a flower from the exhibition to take with them; additional flowers, along with floral-themed merchandise, can be purchased.
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The beauty brand and artist hosted a VIP preview of the installation on Thursday night ahead of its public opening. Hendry, who’s been working on the collaboration for the past two years, described the exhibition’s official debut as “magical.”
“Seeing the crowd walk into the installation and their initial reaction was priceless,” said the Australia-based artist, whose photorealistic drawings found a large audience initially through Instagram. “What surprised me most was how much people wanted to interact with the flowers — there was this instinctual desire to touch, hold and explore them. It was exactly the playful, immersive vibe I hoped for. Watching people reconnect with that childlike sense of wonder felt incredibly rewarding.”
The installation features 20 different types of flowers, inspired by the botanical ingredients incorporated in Clé de Peau Beauté products. Bottles of the brand’s “Le Serum” are lined up along one wall, above vases of plush lilies.
“[Clé de Peau Beauté’s] focus on meticulous craftsmanship really resonates with how I approach my own work. It’s not just about creating something beautiful; it’s about elevating it to the highest possible standard,” said Hendry. “The way we connected on the concept of radiance and turned that into a massive floral experience feels like we’ve built something truly special together.”
And just like real cut flowers, the experience is fleeting: “Flower Market” is open to the public through end of day Sunday.
“As the exhibition heads into the weekend, I’m excited for even more people to experience it,” said Hendry. “There’s something really powerful about creating an environment where people can escape the everyday and just bask in beauty. I can’t wait to see how different people engage with the installation and take that little piece of joy — whether it’s the flower keepsake or just the memory — home with them.”
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