Take It OFFLINE

Instagram-famous artist Cj Hendry now wants fans to see and touch the work.

- RIMA SUQI

CJ Hendry made her first sale from her childhood bedroom in Brisbane, CJ was 26 at the time, posting her art to Instagram, and the buyers reached out about a hyper-realistic drawing of a pair of R.M.Williams boots. Hendry sold it for about $8,900. A decade later, the mother of two commands six- to seven-figure sums for her works, which often can take longer than 80 hours to complete. (There's reportedly a five-year waiting list for her pieces.) Hendry works with anywhere from 6 to 20 full-time employees and has expanded her practice to include interactive installations that draw thousands of people willing to wait hours to gain entry.

Hendry, who was once a Chanel retail employee, has called herself a "full-time shopaholic...utterly obsessed with luxury product." She sold all her high-end clothing and accessories to start her career in her parents' home. Her work was a dream fit for the early days of Instagram: Her early posts displayed her hyper-realistic drawings of an Hermès bicycle, a bottle of Chanel No. 5, Saint Laurent patent leather lace-ups, and Louboutin high-tops. She either purchased or borrowed all the merchandise she drew, kept a select few pieces, and sold the rest on eBay.

Hendry hasn't signed with a gallery, something nearly unheard of for an artist of her stature. Instead of shows with artists' statements and vague language, she's opted to put it out there for all-or her 746,000 followers, at least-to see. "What has really helped is that hyper-realism is perfectly situated to work well on Instagram. It's easy to consume; it's easy to look at," she says.