Blek le Rat

If you asked Blek Le Rat who is among his most favoured admirers, he’d probably say Banksy.

Often hailed as the godfather of stencil graffiti, his precision and artistry has secured his position in history as one of the first street artists of his kind. He originally came to fame by stenciling giant rats all over Paris, to express his frustration with the plague of bad art sweeping the city at the time. His work is often fueled by fire, as his stenciling became more engaged with politics and social causes like homelessness and the environment. In 2005, he stenciled images of incarcerated journalist Florence Aubenas that created public outcry, pressuring politicians and journalists to work harder for her release.

Blek Le Rat is a true pioneer in his craft, to the point where even Banksy had to concede, ”Every time I think I've painted something slightly original, I find out that Blek Le Rat has done it as well, only twenty years earlier." It’s difficult to create an iconic style of work to the point where even the best artists in the world recognise it as yours. Blek Le Rat has done exactly that.