Not many people love potholes, but in Europe, one mysterious artist is turning those annoying street hazards into stunning works of art.

Meet Ememem, a secretive, Banksy-style street artist based in Lyon, France. He calls himself a “bitumen mender” and a “macadam surgeon,” and his mission is simple but brilliant: fill in the cracks and potholes in city streets with bright, colorful ceramic mosaics.

What’s His Deal?

Ememem’s creations, which he calls “flackings“ (a play on the French word for “puddle”), are basically like archaeological treasures uncovered right in the middle of a sidewalk. He sees the cracks in the concrete and asphalt as the “wounds of the urban fabric” and his mosaics are the colorful patches that heal them.

It all started when he got fed up with seeing a dreary pothole outside his workshop. He spontaneously decided to fill it with a mosaic tile design. He explained that after seeing the cool effect it had on people, he knew he had to keep doing it—for the rest of his life!

More Than Just Cool Art

This isn’t just a cool photo op. Ememem is doing two important things:

1. Making Streets Safer: By filling hazardous holes, he’s making sidewalks and roads easier for pedestrians to walk on.
2. Turning Decay into Beauty: He’s taking something ugly and broken (urban decay) and turning it into something beautiful and surprising.

His work is catching on, too. You can spot his “flackings” not just in France, but also in Norway, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

And here’s the wildest part: his unofficial “guerrilla” art has gotten so much love that the city authorities in Lyon have actually commissioned (paid) him to create official pieces! It proves that sometimes, the best way to get change is just to start fixing things yourself—and make it look awesome while you’re at it.

BeeMy Readers: Email us a pic of something you’ve fixed in the community. We’d love to see and share your inspiring action!