If you have been anywhere on socials, you have probably seen the CJ Hendry flower market craze take over Singapore, New York and Sydney. Now it is Brisbane’s turn and it arrives with a bit of hype already baked in.
CJ Hendry is an Australian contemporary artist known for turning everyday things into large, immersive experiences that people can actually step inside. Instead of just hanging art on walls, she builds full-scale worlds, like hyperreal drawings, playful pop-up installations and massive interactive events. Her work often goes viral because it sits somewhere between art, theatre and a very well-designed fever dream.
The flower markets are one of her most popular ideas. She sets up warehouse spaces filled with thousands of fresh flowers and lets people wander, choose and create their own bouquets. It is simple, but that is the point. It turns something ordinary into something you suddenly want to be part of, camera roll included.
For one weekend, Brisbane got its version. A warehouse turned into a slightly overwhelming, very beautiful jungle of flowers. Buckets of roses, tulips, dahlias and natives everywhere you looked. People lining up in the sun like it was the drop of the year, except the prize was deciding which bunch of flowers felt most like your personality.
Brisbane Flower Shop runs from 26 June to 12 July at 1 Arthur St, Fortitude Valley. The pricing is simple. Each stem is $10 AUD, and every 10th stem is free, which somehow makes “just a few flowers” turn into “I guess I’m building a whole bouquet now.”
