Artist Statement

April 2025​

Cheryl Rubin confronts time, turbulence, and the ephemeral in her emotional abstract paintings.

Inspired by abstract expressionism and influenced by classic jazz, forms of nature, and the shapes created in her process, Rubin develops each painting as a unique experience for both her and the viewer. Her paintings literally and figuratively pour out of her as she draws with liquid paint onto substrates and presses the image into the canvas, often folding the canvas onto itself like the origami she remembers doing with her mother as a child. This process also creates "ghost prints" (imagery from the remaining paint) which she utilizes across the canvas to continue a story of lines and shapes disintegrating as a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of existence.. 

Growing up in Philadelphia, Rubin was exposed to the modern art of the 1950`s and 60`s throughout her childhood, impacting her artistic style. Her parents were members of the "new" Museum of Modern Art and she looked forward to the catalogues that came in the mail for each new exhibition along with routine family museum visits. Rubin's work is characterized by the painterly layers of each unique painting, showing her decision making over time. They are energetic and bold, with rhythmic movement across the canvas that invites viewers to immerse themselves in the visceral experience of her art. By constantly experimenting with different materials and processes, she pushes the boundaries of traditional painting and challenges herself to innovate and evolve as an artist. Rubin's paintings are the result of observation, intuition and excavation as she works to bring a unique visual world to the surface both instinctually and with purpose. Her work has been placed in private collections throughout the United States and Europe.

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Biography

Cheryl Rubin is an artist living and working in New York City with a studio in NoMad. Her emotional action paintings confront time, turbulence and the ephemeral.

Born in Philadelphia, she grew up in a house with a floor to ceiling wall mural of the 1928 Stuart Davis painting, "Place Pasdeloup", meticulously copied by her father and brother from a postcard that inspired her lifelong passion to create art.  After studying painting, drawing and sculpture at both Kansas City Art Institute and Philadelphia's University of the Arts, Rubin graduated with a BFA in Sculpture. Moving to New York City in 1979 she continued to create both 2D and 3D art while raising a daughter with her husband, musician and author Dave Rubin, as well as working as an executive in licensing and brand management for Warner Discovery’s DC Entertainment.  For the past 10 years, Cheryl has devoted herself to rebuilding her art portfolio and has a studio in the NoMad district of New York City.  Her work is in private collections throughout the US and Europe.

 

Selected Exhibitions

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2026: SOLO SHOW, The Jazz Gallery, NYC, May 2026-August 2026

Loy Luo Space, Tribeca, NYC., BLUE Group Show, September 17-26, 2024

Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Philadelphia, Pa., Converge Benefit Exhibition, Juried Group Show (June 11- August 3, 2024)

The Marciano Law Firm, Hoboken, NJ, Solo Show (May 1, 2023 - June 15, 2023)

DeFrate & Paavola, Solo Show, Ed Sullivan Office Theatre Building, NYC (February 5, 2020 – May 2022)

Primavera, One Brooklyn Bridge Park Juried Group Show (April 1 – June 18, 2021)

First Street Gallery, 9 for 19 Juried Group Show, Chelsea, NY (January 2021)

ArtspeakCollective.org Group Show, “Art in the Aftermath” online exhibition (December 2020) 

Art Students League of NY, Merit Winners Exhibition (September 2020 – October 2020)

Tabla Rasa Gallery, Brooklyn, NYC, 1stdibs.com (November 2020 - present)

Goddard Riverside Community Center Group Show, NYC (March 2020)

Manhattan Borough President’s Office Juried Group Show (July- September 2018)

Phyllis Harriman Mason Gallery Group Shows, 57th St., NYC (2018/2019/2020)

Spring Studio, NYC, Solo Show – Recent Drawings & Collages (March 2015)

Spring Studio, NYC, Group Shows (2010-2015)

Philadelphia Bicentennial Art Exhibition Juried Group Show (1976)

Global Art Students Exposition Juried Group Show (represented USA), Glasgow, Scotland (1974)

 

Selected Awards

Phyllis Harriman Gallery 57th St., NYC Honorable Mention (2020)

Art Students League Peter Helk Award (2019)

 

Education

Kansas City Art Institute/Philadelphia College of Art BFA (1977)

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Professional Career

President, Cheryl Rubin Group/Powerhouse Branding (2011-2015)

Senior Vice President, Brand Management Warner Discovery/DC Entertainment (1987-2010)

Marketing Manager, Annual Events, Macy’s New York (1981-1986)

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