Paris: Beauty of Graffiti – ART & DEAL CORRESPONDENT

History shows that the street art flourished in the 1980s. Two pioneers are at work: Blek le Rat, stencil painter who was inspired by a cartoon character, Blekle Rock, and Jérôme Mesnager, known for its white man, “a symbol of light, strength and peace.”

Living in Paris for two years became an odyssey of sorts for photographer Rupin Thomas who spent days, studying the variety of graffiti on the walls of Paris streets. “The influence of African and Arab culture is painted all over the walls,” adds Thomas.” There are many ‘day homes’ where illegal immigrants stay, the people who do most of the work the French couldn’t be bothered to, like picking up garbage etc. Yet many face, the prejudice that has already been pre-existing but now has a stronger voice given the actions of a few, in the recent past. Every man has a voice and an opinion, a will to stand for the consciousness of his or her self being. We live in denial of our own hypocrisy and it is only through writing the words “we were here” can we remind an oppressor killing us won’t erase us.”