Seen : Unseen
Cécile Roberfroid – Seen : Unseen
A solo exhibition of abstract oil paintings at Arbor Gallery, May 7–27, 2025
Reception: Saturday, May 10, 5–8 PM
Arbor Gallery is pleased to present Seen : Unseen, a solo exhibition by French-American abstract painter Cécile Roberfroid, on view from May 7 to 27, 2025. The public is warmly invited to a reception with the artist on Saturday, May 10, from 5 to 8 PM.
In Seen : Unseen, Roberfroid presents a selection of new and earlier oil paintings that transform psychological landscapes into emotional visual experiences. Through rich textures, spontaneous gestures, and intuitive mark-making, her work explores the boundary between the visible and the invisible—where feeling takes form.
“My work explores feelings that resist verbalization yet profoundly shape us,” says Roberfroid. “I’m drawn to giving form to those wordless emotional undercurrents that define our human experience.”
Raised across Niger, Yemen, Congo, and beyond, Roberfroid’s nomadic upbringing informs a universal visual language of emotion. With a BFA from the School of Visual Arts and Master’s degrees in Psychology and Art Therapy, she brings a multidisciplinary lens to her practice—bridging creative expression and emotional depth.
The exhibition features 23 works created between 2024 and early 2025, highlighting Roberfroid’s signature layered abstractions. Her paintings range from pure abstraction to abstracted figures, often unified by a limited color palette that heightens emotional impact and compositional harmony.
About the Artist
Cécile Roberfroid is a French-American artist who uses abstract oil painting to process and express emotional experiences. Her international upbringing and background in psychology inform a practice rooted in self-inquiry and emotional resonance. She maintains a studio in Westchester County, NY, and exhibits throughout the Tri-State area. More at www.cecileroberfroid.com.
About Cécile Roberfroid
Through the vibrant and emotive world of abstract oil painting, I embark on a journey of self expression. Each stroke of color, each interplay of shapes and lines, serves as a conduit for my innermost feelings and reflections.
Guided by intuition and a love for colors, shapes, and lines, each painting is a quest of discovery. It is a reflection of my personal emotions, thoughts, and feelings, establishing a dialogue between myself and the canvas.
Central to my artistic practice is the exploration of creating active compositions with layers of texture and vibrant hues.Through this process, I invite viewers to explore and connect with the history embedded within each piece.
Embracing the spontaneity inherent in my process, I celebrate self-expression and the transformative power of art.
Each painting stands as a testament to the power of self-expression and the beauty that can be found in even the most challenging moments of creation.
Ultimately, my art serves as an invitation—a call to explore the boundless possibilities of emotion, thought, and expression. Through vibrant colors and evocative forms, I aim to spark connections and ignite imaginations, leaving an indelible impression on those who encounter my work.
I am a multimedia artist trained in fine arts at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Since I was a young child, I needed to create things to make sense of the world around me. After attending art school, I studied psychology and combined these two passions by becoming an art therapist, using the process of art-making to heal and process trauma. I have worked in multiple media including fiber arts, photography, and ceramics, but have always felt most connected to oil paints.