Cj Hendry made quite the impression in Miami with the debut of her first permanent public art installation: HOOPS Tree. Known for her sought-after contemporary art, Hendry’s installation measures in at a whopping 20 feet tall with 34 hoops for a “chandelier hanging from the sky” effect. And, of course, you can actually shoot basketballs!
“It’s been a focus to try my hand at public art. I enjoy the intimacy of my drawing practice but there is a part of me which gets frustrated because I want to make larger works,” Hendry shared. “I have been building multi-faceted large scale exhibitions for quite some time, but the downside to building a temporary exhibition is that it’s only temporary. This HOOPS concept is my first foray into a permanent public concept.”
Hendry worked with the city of Miami over the past year to bring HOOPS Tree into existence. With its deep blue hue, the installation stands tall in the Wynwood art district, the ocean as its backdrop.
“I am so fortunate to be partnering with the Miami City Council in such a big capacity. They took a risk on me and I am very grateful for the opportunity,” Hendry said. “Designing HOOPS Tree has been interesting because its scale is enormous and it’s so much heavier than I anticipated. The engineering team helped with the specs to make it safe and sturdy. All these components make for a fascinating combination of practicality and creativity. Having an artwork that will live on in a public space indefinitely is a real honor and I am so excited to see it come to life.”
To celebrate HOOPS Tree’s debut, a limited series of six exclusive hyper-photorealistic drawings in six shades of blue, with 600 editions each, were made available to Hendry’s previous clients. One of the editions included a golden ticket to claim the prize of a one-of-a-kind oversized drawing.
To learn more about HOOPS Tree, visit instagram.com/stories/highlights/.