A street artist is converting potholes and broken pavements into intricate pieces of art

Editor's note: This article was originally published on May 25, 2021. It has since been updated.

The wear and tear of the streets we walk on is an indication of the hustle and bustle that it has experienced. It may not be the prettiest sight to look at and could also be potentially dangerous if stepped into absentmindedly, leaving us to wonder where our tax money went. But there is potential for beauty even in imperfection and street artist Ememem knows just how to bring out the best from any pothole and haggard pavement. The anonymous artist fills in these eyesores with intricate mosaic work resulting in a pop of color on an otherwise dull gray street.

Ememem's mosaic work is like a portal into another world. The French artist from the city of Lyon has been creating these pieces of art for the past 10 years. “But I’m just a sidewalk poet, a son of bitumen,” he states. He uses a process called "flacking" which is derived from the French "flaque," meaning puddle or patch, according to The Guardian. “My work is the story of the city, where cobblestones have been displaced; a truck from the vegetable market tore off a piece of asphalt,” he said. “Each becomes a flack.” His work can be spotted on the cobbled streets and cracked sidewalks of Lyon and other European cities like Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, and Milan. 

His work is a visual treat and brings a renewed life to an otherwise monochromatic world. Here are some of his colorful works:

1. Intricately framed manhole.

2. True colors.

3. Crosswords or Crossroads?

4. The punctual sun

5. Hole in the wall.

6. Borderline.

7. On the horizon.

8. Pavement Love.

9. Funky sidewalk.

10. Centrestage.

11. Puddle.

12. Magic carpet.

13. Cement Tetris.

14. Off the wall.

15. Heartland.

16. Under the skin.

17. Jigsaw.

18. Pastel trapdoor.

19. Sun rays.

20.  Please do not touch the piece of art.