Larbi Cherkaoui was born in 1972 in Marrakech.
A graduate in visual arts and laureate of the Centre pédagogique régional in Marrakech, Larbi Cherkaoui has been developing a body of work at the intersection of Arabic calligraphy and gestural abstraction for over three decades.
A painter and calligrapher, he occupies a distinctive place in the Moroccan art scene through his ability to work with traditional materials and reinterpret them through a contemporary visual language. His work explores the formal possibilities of the Arabic letter, progressively transformed into rhythm and movement.
Skin is one of the artist’s primary supports. Dyed with henna, cut or assembled, it becomes the site of a dense and organic form of writing, in which letters seem to unfold in space. Extending this research, Larbi Cherkaoui also incorporates digital tools and electronic circuits, continuing his exploration of the letter within a distinctly contemporary context.
His work has been recognised by several art critics, including Jean-François Clément, who identifies in the artist “an inner necessity” driving him to constantly renew his forms and techniques.
His works are held in numerous public and private collections, including those of the Musée d’art contemporain de Tunis (Tunisia), the Dalloul Art Foundation (Lebanon), the Musée d’Archéologie de Silves (Portugal), the Fondation ONA (Morocco), Bank Al-Maghrib (Morocco), Saham Bank (Morocco), the Royal Mansour (Morocco) and La Mamounia (Morocco).
Larbi Cherkaoui lives and works in Marrakech.