This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

The Brissie Artist Whose Drawings Are Owned By Kanye And Pharrell

That's right, drawings.

Be prepared to wish you tried harder in art class. Brisbane born, NYC based artist CJ Hendry creates these artworks not with watches or paint, but with pencils.

Matthew Kelly

"I am not a painter I am certainly not skilled with a paintbrush," Hendry told The Huffington Post Australia.

"I draw with pens or pencils as my medium. I have been drawing leisurely for many years and have always had skills when it comes to drawing in a hyperrealism manner. I have always had elements of creativity, but I think it has been developed more and more over time, as I have been able to give more time to perusing creative ventures, because this is my full time thing now.

"You can't teach passion, it is either there or it isn't. I am an intensely passionate person and that's the way I have always been."

Matthew Kelly

And that passion has started to pay off. Kanye West, Pharrell and Floyd Mayweather all own some of her work, and most recently, Hendry just last week debuted her first exhibition in Asia -- a collaboration with Christian Louboutin at Art Basel Hong Kong.

Despite the success, Hendry is just getting started.

"I don't ever feel like 'this is it'. Sure I am grateful to be doing what I am doing, but I am constantly looking to push myself into other areas, otherwise you can get stale. I have been very fortunate to work with extremely talented people over the years so I cannot take all the credit for where I am today. It has been a team effort."

Prior to this latest collection of brightly coloured paint swatches, Hendry only worked in black and white. One of her earlier drawings, the 'Nike sketch' sold for over $100,000.

"The sketch sold for over $US130,000. Bill Tikkos, my representative at the time, and I decided to donate the profits from the sale of the sketch to less advantaged kinds in the form of sneakers. It was a very proud moment, giving back to those less fortunate than ourselves. It just goes to show that as an artist it is so much more than just making pieces to sell, it's about giving back," Hendry said.

Her philanthropic nature doesn't stop there. After the Florida shooting last year Hendry drew a sketch of a blood stained t-shirt in the shape of a gun, printed it on an 8,000-square-foot banner, and had it towed behind three prop planes in Orlando, NYC and Chicago with the hashtag #ENDGUNVIOLENCE.

"There are so many different causes that I am passionate about but I think it's about being selective with the ones that I truly feel passionate about," Hendry said.

"I am only one person, so I do not have the capacity to talk about everything, so when I do it is something special that is close to my heart and I really like to go all out. I don't know what topic I will choose to speak about next."

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