I remember having seen graffiti in the subway and some pieces painted on the walls in Greenwich village. He had some cousins living in NYC and we stayed with them in an apartment in Manhathan. We were students at that time and Larry Wolhandler was from Utica NY. What do you remember about that experience and beginning to write on walls back home in France?īlek Le Rat: Yes it was during summer 1972 and I was invited by an American friend of mine that I met at the beaux arts in Paris. Do you embrace this title? Is it accurate?īlek Le Rat: Yes I You’ve said that you first saw graffiti in New York City in the early 70s. Our own sat down with Blek to discuss his past, his current, and his future as well as his thoughts on street vs galleries and which of his peers he keeps tabs When your name comes up in conversation about “street art” it’s usually followed by the title “Father (or Godfather) of Stencil Art”. “Ratical” includes works on canvas, wood, paper, and even a bronze sculpture. His first ever solo show in Chicago, “Ratical”, opens at Vertical Gallery on April 1st at 6p. Blek’s travels have taken him now to Chicago, where he will work outdoors on walls and open an ambitious gallery show. His stenciled works have covered many themes from the beauty of a young couple dancing, the plight of the homeless, and of course the rat.

He’s the unquestioned original stencil pioneer, his early works paving the way for so many who have come since.īlek started painting stencils of rats on the walls of Paris in 1981 and has been bringing his art “to the people” ever since. He studied fine art and architecture at Beaux-Arts in Paris, but the the confines of a studio or classroom couldn’t contain him. He’s influenced generations of graffiti writers, street/urban artists, and vandals all around the world.

Blek Le Rat (born Xavier Prou) has been painting on walls longer than most reading this article have been alive.

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