"Everytime I think I've painted something slightly original, I find out that Blek Le Rat has done it as well. Only twenty years earlier..." Banksy

Blek le Rat is the godfather of stencil graffiti and a true pioneer in the world of street art. He began working on the streets of Paris in the 1980s and went on to exhibit all over the world, including prestigious shows at the Gemeentemuseum Helmond in Holland and the Takashi Gallery in Tokyo. In 1994 after being arrested for graffiti in Paris, an incensed Blek ceased to operate in galleries, opting to create exhibitions in less traditional surroundings. In direct opposition to the confines of the establishment he produced prints which were then pasted up on city streets around the world, taking in Buenos Aires, Berlin, New York and London . A true maverick.