Aaron Benjamin Cohen

My work revolves around the social act of being present—of truly looking, seeing, and acknowledging. In a world that rushes by, where distraction dulls our senses and self-consumption dominates, I explore what it means to notice—to witness life unfolding in its simplest moments. The quiet exchange between strangers,, the weight of a shared glance—these are not just observations, but affirmations that we exist in relation to one another.
Through photography and painting, I capture and reconstruct these fleeting moments, abstracting and reshaping them to explore the tension between presence and absence, intimacy and distance. Moving between figuration and abstraction I explore the space between what’s visible and what’s sensed, between the real and the fleeting.
At its core, my work asks: What do we choose to see? What do we let slip away? What does it require of us to be a witness to life, love, and loss? In an age where detachment feels almost instinctive, I view looking as an act of connection—a refusal to let moments pass unnoticed. Through my paintings, I invite viewers to slow down, to notice, to engage—through this act of seeing, the hope is, we can connect with one another.

2013-2014 University of the Arts
Continued self development and guidance through mentors.

2024 - Group Show "Renaissance of Reconnecting “ Soiree henzo”, Lavan Chelsea, New York City, NY

2023 - Group Show "Together We Art"

2021 - Group Show "Twenty Twenty, Twenty Twenty One"

2020 Solo Show - “Not Too Distant Memory” / Philadelphia

2019 - Group Show - Nebula Arts Gallery

2018 - Group Show - Morgan’s Gallery