Blek le Rat, born in France in 1951, was one of the first graffiti artists in Paris and is considered the forefather of the stencil movement. His first stencil works in the early 1980s were of black rats in the streets of Paris – hence his artist’s name “le Rat,” the rat, and “rat” is also an anagram for “art”.

“[The rat is] the only animal that will survive the apocalypse.”

Studying fine arts and architecture during the 1970s at the École des Beaux-Arts familiarized him with the techniques that would come in handy later, in his work on the street. It was during his studies that he became well-versed in the techniques of etching, lithography, and screen printing, and all of these methods, along with the study of architecture at the Architectural Teaching Unit, made him aware of the intricacies of planned urban space. His work, which he describes as “a gift to the inhabitants of the city,” influenced generations of artists and has become increasingly political over the years.

On loan courtesy of the Gewobag collection.