Considered to be the father of stencil street art, and a pioneer of graffiti artists in Europe, Blek Le Rat was one of the first people to use stencils to make public art on the street using icons instead of writing his name. His infamous silhouette stencil of a rat started to appear in Paris in the 1980’s and was adopted by Banksy in Bristol and London years later.

Motivated by social consciousness and a desire to bring the art to the people, Blek has successfully brought art out of the gallery into public urban spaces. Creating art for the masses his work is charged with political sentiment, often adopting a dark humour or familiar motifs.

“This movement is the single most important movement for the future of art. We can compare it to Rock ‘n’ Roll in the sixties. It signifies a social change which is gathering momentum.” Blek Le Rat.