Born in Tetouan, where he continues to live and work, Saad Ben Cheffaj is considered one of the pioneers of contemporary Moroccan art. Defying his family’s reservations, he entered the Tetouan School of Fine Arts in 1955, studying under Mekki Meghara and Fakhar, who introduced him to academic foundations and classical techniques. He later continued his artistic training in Seville and in Paris at the École du Louvre. After graduating in Spain, he returned to Morocco to teach art history, drawing, and painting.

He held his first exhibition at the age of 17 and went on to participate in numerous shows in Morocco, in France — including at the Institut du Monde Arabe — as well as in Seville and Brazil.

Throughout his career, Ben Cheffaj explored a wide range of styles: figuration, abstraction, expressionism, neo-realism, and symbolism. This rich diversity gradually led him to develop a highly personal language characterized by dualistic compositions — darker, earthier, sometimes unsettling, yet always illuminated by a hint of hope.

After his classical beginnings, he evolved toward a distinctive geometric technique. His canvases are structured with straight or broken lines, crosses, and circles, creating compositions that are both strict and poetic. Sculptural faces with vacant eyes emerge from twisted, full-bodied forms; sometimes fragmented, their movements appear trapped within rectangles and squares, giving his works impressive visual force.

Over the years, his creations grew more expressive, enriched by original shapes that renewed his artistic vocabulary. His power also lies in his color choices: dark, somber tones balanced by brighter hues that bring life and hope to the subjects.

Ben Cheffaj ultimately forged a profoundly dual body of work, oscillating between figuration and abstraction — a duality especially evident in his urban-themed series, handled with striking geometric precision.

His work has achieved considerable success, with paintings often reaching several thousand euros. Like many artists of his generation, he did not sign all his works, adding an intriguing layer of mystery to his artistic legacy.