Photo: Jeni’s
Earlier this month, Cj Hendry entered a new phase in her creative practice. For years, the artist has been producing hyperrealistic paintings of everything from McDonald’s takeout bags and Rolex watches to balloon hearts and limp cigarettes. Now, though, she’s evidently craving something a little sweeter. On August 14, 2025, she officially launched a monochrome, jet-black ice cream with Jeni’s, a boutique brand renowned for its buttery ice cream.
Aptly titled OPAQUE, the ice cream subverts any preconceived notion of what this beloved treat should look like. Where most ice creams are vibrant and bright, OPAQUE is moody and rich, complementing its dark color palette with bold flavors like black cocoa, espresso fudge, and balsamic cherry. At first glance, these scoops are almost intimidating, resembling little lumps of charcoal and offering no hint at what to expect behind its monolithic surface. Even after just one bite, OPAQUE’s decadence immediately becomes clear: it’s familiar in its fudginess, but mature in its velvety notes of cherry and espresso. That contrast is exactly why OPAQUE succeeds beyond merely being a limited-edition product—it functions much like Hendry’s art, where assumptions are challenged and flipped on their heads.
“This wasn’t just about creating a ‘black’ flavor,” Beth Stallings, director of innovation at Jeni’s, said in a statement. “It was about creating something that is layers deep, that feels like an excavation of flavor. With OPAQUE, guests will have to rely on their senses, allowing the flavor to unfold with each bite.”
As part of the OPAQUE collaboration, Hendry also created new original artworks, each depicting hyperrealistic ice cream scoops. These signed editions come in 12 different colors and are par for the course for the artist, resembling photographs more than they do drawings. Interestingly, the prints are distributed through a lottery system, where buyers don’t know which color they’ll eventually receive. And, perhaps as a reference to the iconic golden ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the drop also features a single black ice cream print. The lucky recipient of this particular print will be awarded a monumental artwork by Hendry worth $450,000.
All of this was on full display during OPAQUE’s three-day, immersive pop-up in Manhattan, explicitly designed to match the ice cream’s aesthetic. Inside, the walls were clad with shiny, black tiles, while seating, flooring, and other features were, as to be expected at this point, also drenched in black. My Modern Met had the chance to attend the pop-up’s VIP opening, where scoops of OPAQUE were served in custom black waffle cones, adding a rewarding and sugary crunch to the otherwise creamy ice cream.
“We wanted to create an experience that pushes sensory boundaries,” Hendry said. “Removing color makes you feel everything else more deeply—the texture, the taste, the emotion. It’s quiet, it’s bold, it’s unlike any other ice cream shop you’ve ever stepped inside.”
To learn more about OPAQUE, visit Jeni’s website. And for more from the artist, follow Cj Hendry on Instagram.
OPAQUE, Cj Hendry’s new collaboration with boutique ice cream brand Jeni’s, hopes to turn heads and challenge our expectations about art and food.
Photo: Jeni’s
Photo: Jeni’s
The interior of the OPAQUE pop-up held in New York, NY. (Photo: Cj Hendry Studio)
The jet-black ice cream is accompanied by several new prints created the renowned hyperrealistic artist.
The special black ice cream print, worth $450,000 and raffled out at random. (Photo: Cj Hendry Studio)
One of the OPAQUE limited-edition prints. (Photo: Cj Hendry Studio)
One of the OPAQUE limited-edition prints. (Photo: Cj Hendry Studio)
Photo: Cj Hendry Studio
One of the OPAQUE limited-edition prints. (Photo: Cj Hendry Studio)
Packaging for the OPAQUE limited-edition prints. (Photo: Cj Hendry Studio)
Cj Hendry: Website | Instagram
Jeni’s: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Maximus Communications.
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