Stencil - Spray paint on canvas
78,6 x 51,2 in (195 x 130 cm)

Blek Le Rat (Xavier Prou) was born in Paris in 1952. He is one of a renowned Master of Street Art. Considered to be one of the pioneers of stencil art, Blek Le Rat has been using the walls of Paris and other cities in the world as canvas since the early eighties to express himself, politically, socially or else. Inspired by a graffiti rat he has seen in New York in the 70’s, he decided to recreate it in Paris using a style that, in his opinion, suited better this city hence, he chose the stencil technique. In 1981, Blek started decorating the streets of Paris with a rat stencil as to him the rat is a symbol of freedom an anagram for ‘art’. In his creations Blek managed to transform stencil from basic lettering into pictorial art. . He is credited with being the inventor of the life-sized stencil, as well as the first to transform stencil from basic lettering into pictorial art. Many of his pieces are pictorials of solitary individuals in opposition to large, oppressive groups. Blek’s recent artworks have a strong political character with subjects such as homelessness and the environment. He has also been noted for his series of images representing the homeless, which begun in 2006, where Blek would depict them standing, sitting or laying on sidewalks, in an attempt to bring attention to what he views as a global problem. His posters of kidnapped French journalist Florence Aubenas has also helped raised public awareness, pressuring politicians and journalists to work harder for her release . Blek Le Rat is considered by many to be the originator of stencil graffiti and he has massively influenced today’s Graffiti and Guerrilla Art movements. Blek showed his works in different London’s art spaces. Since then, he has regularly presented exhibitions in cities around the world with great succes.