Blek le Rat, “the father of stencil graffiti”, was one of the first graffiti artists in Paris. Blek began his artwork in 1981, painting stencils of rats on the walls of Paris streets.His name originates from the comic book Blek le Roc, using "rat" as ananagramfor "art". His work being social consciousness and the desire to bring art to the people. Many of his pieces are pictorials of solitary individuals in opposition to larger, oppressive groups.