Throughout the 1980’s, Blek’s art developed from small pieces into life-size characters like the representation of famous Andy Warhol, Tom Waits, Jesus Christ and a portrait of Blek le Rat himself. He chose the pseudonym « Blek le Rat » in reference to an Italian comic book « Blek le Roc », using « rat » as an anagram for « art ». He started stenciling the walls of Paris in 1981 – when street painting had not yet become associated with criminal activity – spray-painting small black rats running along the walls of the fourteenth Arrondissement. He then went on studying architecture, learning the impact of space and the creative possibilities of the urban environment. When he came back to France with colourful graffiti images in mind, Blek enrolled at Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Paris to study etching, seriography and lithography. When Blek le Rat visited New York in 1972 this was the very first time he had ever seen graffiti in his life. He is often described as « the father of stencil graffiti ». Recognised as the pioneer of Paris street art, Blek le Rat (born Xavier Prou in 1952 in Paris) has been painting committed pieces in the streets since the early eighties.

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