One of the original pioneers of Parisian street art, Xavier Prou, better known as Blek le Rat has been a prolific stencil artist since the eighties. Inspired by New York graffiti, Blek often incorporates rats into his art pieces to symbolize both urban city life and those marginalized by the system. Blek le Rat is also the original inspiration for British street artist, Banksy, who has used Blek’s iconic rat stencil to accent his own pieces.