From Flower Market Frenzy to Yellow Figurines Ball Pit: Inside Cj Hendry’s New JuJu World at IMBA Theatre, Gardens by the Bay

Following the massive floral frenzy that drew over 60,000 visitors to Gardens by the Bay, New York-based Australian contemporary artist Cj Hendry is launching her second consecutive immersive experience in Singapore. Fresh off the heels of her widely talked-about Flower Market installation, which wrapped up its extended six-day run at the IMBA Theatre, Hendry is pivoting from plush blossoms to a vibrant, sunny yellow universe. Her latest exhibition, JuJu World, officially opens its doors to the public from 20 June to 18 July, 2026, introducing Singaporeans to a whimsical new character born from artificial intelligence.

The media preview and interview ahead of the launch revealed an artist who is entirely comfortable with the chaos and commercial success her work generates. Hendry proved to be incredibly candid, super friendly, and down-to-earth, dismissing criticisms regarding long queues, crowd behaviour, and online scalping from her previous show.

During the Flower Market event, visitors were given one plush flower for free, leading to scenes of attendees aggressively filling bags and later reselling them online. Hendry shrugged off the controversy, noting that hype naturally comes with the territory of creating highly accessible and commercial art. She explained that she deliberately avoids putting tight constraints or heavy rulebooks on her exhibitions because she wants people to experience art exactly how they choose, even if it results in a bit of public absurdity.

JuJu World transitions visitors into an expansive, bright yellow playground designed to appeal to all ages.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is a massive inflatable ball pit filled with countless plastic JuJu figurines that visitors can actually take home for free. It serves as an interactive playground where both adults and kids alike can dive into the fun.

The inspiration for the character came after Phillips Auction House approached Hendry to design a toy. Lacking traditional toy-design experience, she turned to generative tools like ChatGPT, going through 30 to 40 iterations before landing on the final rabbit character. Named after the way her children pronounce her mother Judy’s name, JuJu features floppy ears and a signature flower eyepatch.

The creation of JuJu also serves as a direct artistic commentary on current toy trends.

Hendry openly shared her thoughts on Pop Mart’s viral sensation, stating that the phenomenon of Labubu has come and gone. In her view, such trends often carry heavy commercial intent but lack long-term narrative substance to fall back on. With JuJu World, Hendry aims to focus heavily on storytelling and building meaningful in-person experiences, planning to expand the universe with more characters under the JuJu and Friends umbrella in the future.

Addressing secondary concerns raised online regarding the environmental impact of using large amounts of plastic for her installations, Hendry explained that her studio actively recycles materials from her exhibitions. Over the past decade, she has repurposed the plastics from her global pop-ups to create specially designed children’s chairs, ensuring the materials find a functional second life.

Operating her art practice much like a fast-moving start-up, Hendry remains focused on making large, bold statements that force people to stop and think.

JuJu World runs daily at the IMBA Theatre, located at 18 Marina Gardens Drive, with operating hours from 10am to 7pm on Mondays to Thursdays, and extended hours from 10am to 8pm from Fridays to Sundays.

Tickets are available onsite and online through the official venue platform.

Merch Pricing and Admission Tickets to JuJu World

While the Flower Market installation was entirely free, entry to JuJu World requires ticketing to manage the momentum and experience. Admission is priced at S for adults and individuals aged 13 and above, and S for children between the ages of three and 12. Children under the age of three can enter for free.

Visitors who want to take home more than just the free ball-pit figurines will find an array of exclusive, limited-edition merchandise created specifically for the Singapore edition.

These collectibles include JuJu plushies packaged in mystery blind boxes for S, large Singapore-exclusive JuJu plush toys for S, themed water bottles for S, graphic caps for S, and t-shirts for S.