Abdelkader Laâraj was born in Casablanca in 1950.
A self-taught painter and sculptor, he took his first steps in the art world alongside leading figures of the Casablanca Group, notably Mohamed Melehi and Mohamed Chabâa, whose assistant he became and with whom he formed a lasting friendship. It was through this circle, foundational to Moroccan artistic modernity, that he developed his sensibility and early formal research.
His work explores the relationship between colour and light, in compositions where organic forms and female silhouettes oscillate between figuration and abstraction. This tension runs through both his painting and sculpture.
From his close association with Melehi and Chabâa, he inherited the use of cellulosic paint, a medium he has worked with for several decades to create surfaces of subtle nuance and strong chromatic intensity. For Laâraj, colour structures the composition as much as it determines its balance.
His works are held in several public and private collections and have been exhibited in Morocco and internationally, including in France, Italy, Canada and the United States.
The artist lives and works in Casablanca.