Origines
Blek le Rat, real name Xavier Prou, was born on 15 November 1951 in Boulogne?Billancourt, France. He studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux?Arts in Paris, where he trained in fine arts before turning the urban space itself into his main field of expression.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blek_le_Rat, https://bleklerat.fr
Situations actuelle
Recognised as a pioneer of stencil graffiti in Europe, Blek le Rat continues to work between urban interventions, gallery shows and international projects. His work has gained increasing institutional recognition, with exhibitions in museums and art centres, while he remains closely associated with the history and aesthetics of street art.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blek_le_Rat, https://bleklerat.fr
lieu de résidence
Blek le Rat lives and works mainly in Paris, the city where he has developed most of his street?based work since the early 1980s.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blek_le_Rat
style graphique et médiums
Blek le Rat is best known for his use of stencils as his primary medium. Initially inspired by New York graffiti and comic?book imagery (especially the character "Blek le Roc"), he developed a visual language built on cut?out, repeatable silhouettes: rats, anonymous figures, historical and political icons. Using spray paint and large?scale stencils, his works address social and political issues (poverty, freedom, surveillance, war) with a poetic and sometimes ironic tone. He is widely cited as a major influence by artists such as Banksy.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blek_le_Rat, https://bleklerat.fr
liste des expositions
Blek le Rat has exhibited widely in galleries and institutions in the United Kingdom, the United States and across Europe. Frequently mentioned are solo and group shows in London, New York, Los Angeles and several French cities, in exhibitions focusing on the history of street art and stencil practices. For an updated and detailed list of his solo and group exhibitions, the most reliable sources are his official website and the institutions that present his work.
Sources: https://bleklerat.fr, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blek_le_Rat
liens articles web
Many online articles and resources document Blek le Rat's career and his influence on contemporary street art: