’50 Foods in 50 Days’, Hyperrealistic Food Drawings by CJ Hendry

It’s your last day on earth. What would you choose for your final meal? That’s the question that launched artist CJ Hendry’s latest series, 50 foods in 50 days. After reading accounts of inmates’ final days on death row, Hendry was inspired to draw 50 meals on beautiful Hermes plates. Hendry’s art career began at university when a friend encouraged her to pursue her talent instead of slugging it out doing a degree she had no passion for. To pay for rent and food, Hendry sold her treasured clothes on eBay and made enough cash to get started. Even with a sold-out exhibition in Sydney last year and a commissioned piece hanging in Kanye West’s home, Hendry is the last to admit she has “made it” as an artist. “I never actually sit back and think, ‘Shit yeah, I’ve made it’. I think I’ve still got a long way to go and I do what I do because I love it and for no other reason.” Her work is popular because of her unique style. She spends hours upon hours shading with felt-tip pens until her images look hyper-real. The process starts with a photo of her subject, whether it’s a juicy crab, scattered M&Ms or a crispy baguette. Hendry then measures the photo and begins to draw the image using various shading techniques. It can take anywhere from 15 hours to a couple of days to produce the final piece – each have been drawn onto a 75 x 75 centimetre canvas and cost $8800.