Article | Cj Hendry Mere Mortals Exhibition Trading Cards Contemporary Art New York August 2026
Cj Hendry’s Mere Mortals
This weekend, the artist takes over Phillips New York. Be sure to bring the kids, or at the very least, your inner child.
Surprises await: Cj Hendry’s Mere Mortals box.
This August, artist Cj Hendry presents her third collaboration with Phillips Dropshop — Mere Mortals. This playful and nostalgic exhibition at Phillips New York is inspired by the imaginative world of trading cards and childhood toys.
Cj Hendry, Mere Mortals, 2026.
For Cj Hendry, the concept began at home, watching her children trade cards with friends, alongside the wonderfully strange toy creations that have long captured her imagination. Bringing her signature sense of humor and whimsy to the idea, Cj has created a cast of unexpected characters made from a mix of familiar forms and mismatched parts — a world of 52 original characters brought to life as collectible trading cards.
“Mere Mortals started as this silly, joyful idea watching my kids trade cards with their friends, and it turned into a whole cast of characters I couldn’t stop making,” says Cj Hendry. “Getting to bring that world into a space like Phillips and have people actually play with the work instead of just looking at it is exactly the kind of collaboration I love.”
Mere Mortals collectible merchandise.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Cj back to Phillips with Mere Mortals,” says Christine Miele, Sales Director, Ecommerce at Phillips. “Our previous collaborations with Cj and her team were met with tremendous enthusiasm — from her Crowns in New York to juju in Hong Kong — and we’re delighted to continue building on that excitement together. This project brings a playful, accessible energy into our space at 432 Park Avenue, and gives our audience a new way to engage with Cj’s work, both in person and online.”
Complete with claw machines and collectible surprises, the exhibition invites visitors to play, explore, and reconnect with the excitement of childhood in a hands-on, engaging environment. At the activation, visitors will receive two free tokens to play the claw machines to try their hand at winning Mere Mortals playing cards.
Cj Hendry, Mere Mortals, 2026.
Trading cards and merchandise will be available for purchase on-site at Phillips New York 28–30 August from 10am to 6pm. Prints and editions will be released online at cjhendrystudio.com beginning 30 August at 7pm ET. Merchandise will include trading cards featuring 52 original characters, along with t-shirts, caps, pins, stickers, bags, and patches.
Location:
Phillips New York
432 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Dates:
28 –30 August 2026
10am to 6pm