Cheryl attended the High School of Art & Design and Pratt Institute both in New York City. While working full time as an art director in the travel industry she received a Master of Science degree from  Hofstra University. She has been exploring the patterns in nature since the 1980’s when she began researching simple organisms. Her art continued up the evolutionary trail in biology and by 1990, she was exploring cell biology in humans and was featured in a one-person show at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in Washington, DC. In 2004, the artist abandoned art materials and started creating art employing chemistry as her medium.  All Cheryl’s art seen here was created by chemical reactions.

Safren’s art has been featured in many exhibitions and articles in both art and science publications. These include Hyle, Chemical and Engineering News, and National Geographic Science. She has been a featured speaker or panelist at many conventions and seminars. These include the American Chemical Society convention in San Juan. Safren’s’s ten permanent public art commissions are in states across America.