Cj Hendry presented Keff Joons at 50 Gold Street in DUMBO from April 11 through April 20, 2025. The exhibition began with the visual familiarity of Jeff Koons's polished balloon animals, then twisted it into Hendry's own language: asymmetrical knots, meticulous drawings, glossy sculptural objects, and a room-scale tangle that visitors could approach as both art installation and oversized play space.
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YouTube: Inside Keff Joons
Instagram: A Gallery Full of Knots
Photo Gallery: Cj Hendry's Keff Joons
What to Know
The Title Is an Intentional Reversal
Keff Joons rearranges Jeff Koons's name while openly acknowledging his balloon sculptures. Hendry used that recognizable precedent as a point of departure rather than attempting a literal copy.
The Balloons Are Not Balloons
The sculptures imitate inflated latex through hard, glossy surfaces. Their apparent softness, pressure, and fragility conflict with their actual material presence, allowing the work to move between object and illusion.
Knots Replaced Perfect Animals
Where conventional balloon sculpture depends on recognizable forms, Hendry emphasized tangles, overlaps, and asymmetry. The knots resist immediate identification and make the viewer follow color and line through three-dimensional space.
Drawings Anchored the Installation
Hendry's highly controlled drawings appeared throughout the exhibition and documented individual configurations in exacting detail. The works connected the spectacle of the large installation to the artist's established studio practice.
The Exhibition Extended Into Objects for Sale
Sculptures, editions, drawings, clothing, balloon kits, pins, magnets, books, and scarves expanded the project beyond the gallery floor. The Cj Hendry Studio site maintains the artist's exhibition archive.