About
I am a New York City-based fine art photographer. Having originally trained and worked as an actress, I segued to a role behind the camera when I left the theatre and film world to concentrate on photography. This background and a life-long affinity for reading laid the groundwork for my emphasis on visual storytelling.
My fine art photography examines perception, inviting viewers to reconsider assumed meanings and to engage with alternative ways of seeing. Through compositions that range from elegant simplicity to intricate complexity, I seek to reveal perspectives that are both literal and conceptual, fostering an awareness of the interconnectedness and impermanence inherent in all forms of existence.
My practice centers on uncovering and clarifying what lies beneath the surface—whether found in produce, forest landscapes, or abstract ideas. While grounded in representation, the work often approaches partial abstraction, allowing form, light, and context to expand beyond straightforward depiction. Metaphor, subtle wit, wordplay, and visual double entendre function as conceptual strategies, encouraging sustained attention and layered interpretation.
From carefully constructed studio “portraits” of produce to contemplative studies of the natural world, my photographs explore transience, transformation, and hidden resonance. Through this inquiry, I aim to cultivate deeper reflection and a heightened appreciation for the fleeting and interconnected nature of life.
I studied at the International Center of Photography, where I also served as a Teaching Assistant. Memberships include: SHIM Art Network: Spliced Connector (exhibiting at Artsy.net), the New York Artists Circle and Art Lives Here. My book about the disintegration of truth, “Apples & Oranges … A Photographic Essay,” was published in 2021 and is available for sale.
Photo by Terry Dudley
Cheryl Aden
(917) 331-9678
Email: cheryladen@me.com
EDUCATION
International Center of Photography
Student and Teaching Assistant
BA, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Performing Arts
EXHIBITIONS
Solo
Rio III Gallery, Solo Exhibit & Artist Talk, New York, New York
Apples & Oranges … a Photographic Essay, Fall 2024
Group
El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, New York, New York
Women Celebrate Women, March 2026
New York Artists Circle, Juried Exhibition at Westbeth Gallery,
Breathe, February 2026
Spliced Connector: SHIM Art Network, Winter 2025 Exhibition
Silken Twine, December 19, 2025 – June 19, 2026
New York Artists Circle, Juried Exhibition at Art at First, Co-Curator & Artist
Seeing Music Live, Fall 2025
New York Artists Circle, Juried Exhibition at El Barrio’s Artspace PS109
Serene and Exuberant Color, June 2025
Art Lives Here – The Brownstone Gallery, New York, New York
Art Lives Here: Gifted, Winter 2024
Spliced Connector: SHIM Art Network, Summer 2025 Exhibition
An Open Door, June 20 – December 20, 2025
First Street Gallery, New York, New York
2024 National Juried Exhibition, curated by April Gornik, Fall 2024
Art Lives Here, An Art Fair at Westbeth Gallery, New York, New York
Art Lives Here: Collecting, Fall 2024
Gallerium.Art, Juried Online Exhibit
Plantarium 2024, Fall 2024
Spliced Connector: SHIM Art Network, Winter 2024 Exhibition
Homing, December 6, 2024 – June 5, 2025
Spliced Connector: SHIM Art Network, Summer 2024 Exhibition
Water and Dust, July 12, 2024 – January 10, 2025
Photo Artfolio, International Juried Exhibit
Colorscapes, April 2024
El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, New York, New York
Women Celebrate Women, March 2024
Spliced Connector: SHIM Art Network, Winter 2023 Exhibition
Into Wildness, December 1, 2023 – May 30, 2024
Chateau Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky
The Art of Food, Director’s Choice Award, December 2023
New York Artists Circle, Juried Virtual Exhibition
De.code, Fall 2023
Spliced Connector: SHIM Art Network, Summer 2023 Exhibition
Sense Making, June 2 – December 1, 2023
Westbeth Gallery, Spliced Connector, Fluid Media and Pell Lucy Collectives
Luminous Elsewheres, April 2023
El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, New York, New York
Women Celebrate Women, March 2023
Spliced Connector: SHIM Art Network, Winter 2022 Exhibition
Birr, December 2, 2022 – June 1, 2023
New York Artists Circle, Juried Virtual Exhibition, Co-Curator & Artist
Seeing Music, Winter 2022
Art Lives Here, JVS Project Space, Photography Exhibit
Look This Way, October – November 2022
Gallerium.Art, Juried Online Exhibit
Cancer: Never Give Up 2022, October 2022
Chateau Gallery, Louisville, Kentucky
Beauty in Decay, October 2022
Spliced Connector Group, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, Jamaica, New York
Inter-generational, Invitational Exhibit, August – September 2022
Cultural Center of Cape Cod, Juried Virtual Exhibition
Food Glorious Food, Summer 2022
Spliced Connector: SHIM Art Network, Summer 2022 Exhibition
Clean Energy, June 3 – December 1, 2022
New York Artists Circle, Juried Virtual Exhibition
I Dreamed a Garden, Spring 2022
Art Lives Here, Living With Art Salon
A Conversation Between Women, Spring 2022
Spliced Connector: Shim Art Network, Winter 2022 Exhibition
Everything Will Be Recognized, January 21 – May 19, 2022
New York Artists Circle, Juried Virtual Exhibition
Backordered, Winter 2021 – 2022
El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, New York, New York
Women Celebrate Women, August 2021
New York Artists Circle, Juried Virtual Exhibition
Lost and Found: A Personal Vision, Summer 2021
El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, New York, New York
Women Celebrate Women, August – September 2020
JVS Art Project Space
Holiday Art Exhibition, Winter 2020
The Choral Composer/Conductor Collective (C4), New York, New York
Featured Artist, 2018 – 2019
PUBLICATIONS
Art Lives Here, Volume 1
2024
Apples & Oranges … A Photographic Essay
2020, 2021
MEMBER
New York Artists Circle
Spliced Connector, Shim Art Network
Art Lives Here NYC