Ficus, 235 Nassau Street, presents “In Reflection: SiriOm Singh & C.a. Shofed” this spring in the upstairs dining gallery through June 4. An opening reception is on Sunday, April 30 from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

SiriOm Singh

Colorful images seen in large bodies of water, man-made structures, and nature’s puddles illuminate in both artists’ work. Singh’s Impressionist Abstract-style paintings take viewers through a window and into his texture-rich and colorful scenes. Shofed’s modern photographs, printed on metal, have been described as “industrial meets nature.” His images capture moments in time and grasp our hearts.

Singh is a self-taught artist living and creating in Trenton. He is the co-owner of Cross Pollination art gallery in Lambertville, which shows his work and the work of his wife, fiber artist Ayala Shimelman.

Singh is an abstract expressionist. He uses acrylic and collage, applying layering techniques, primarily with pallet knife. His work has been influenced by the works of Matisse, Picasso, Léger, Tolliver, Bearden, Pollock, and Basquiat.

His work has been shown in various museum and galleries, among them New Jersey State Museum; Trenton City Museum; Phillips’ Mill, New Hope, Pa.; Da Vinci Art Alliance, Philadelphia; The Gallery at Mercer County Community College; The Gallery at the Bank of Princeton, Lambertville; and is part of numerous private collections.

C.a. Shofed

Shofed studied graphic arts at Assunpink Vocational School, moving into advertising design in college. “It was college that first exposed me to photography,” he said. Before he had a chance to explore photography as a career, he took a summer job as a computer installer and never looked back. “I spent the next 25 years as an IT professional,” he said. “Although my professional life had focused on technology, I maintained an interest in photography, always carrying my camera with me, taking photographs whenever the opportunity presented itself or whenever a particular scene or object inspired me.”

Sometime after being laid off and after his second kidney transplant, Shofed decided during his recovery that he would give fine arts photography a go. “I moved to Trenton, and the art scene in my new hometown was raw, vibrant, and easy to access,” he said. “Trenton’s art scene is mature and is being discovered by the world outside its borders.”

In 2012 Shofed had his first solo exhibit. Creating pieces for that exhibit set Shofed on a course where his style began to be described as “painterly.” In 2017 he embarked on his journey into more abstract work with the creation of his Reflectionism series. His art has been exhibited and sold in galleries and museums across the globe including Philadelphia, New York, San Diego, London, Glasgow, and many places within the continental United States and Europe.

On the café walls downstairs at Ficus, the “Princeton High School Art Student Show” features a collection of 5×7 detailed etchings that create a mosaic pattern.

For more information, visit ficusbv.com.