Fanny Pitoiset is a mosaicist who fills potholes in Dijon, France, with beautiful mosaics that brighten every passerby's day. Since 2023, Fanny has been looking for the missing pieces of concrete around her city and restoring them with colorful mosaics. While you can see that the "political" dimension is present in her creations, her primary approach remains decorating her city: “sharing, gifting, and injecting fantasy, poetry, and color into everyday life where there used to be grey”, as she shared with Bored Panda.Growing up in an artistic household, with a sculptor dad and a ceramist mom, Fanny always felt pulled to explore drawing, sculpting, and decorating. Although her artistic passion had always been there, her demanding job as an economics teacher left little time to explore it, until the pandemic provided the time to reignite it.Thanks to her efforts over the last 3 years, 35 mosaics have bloomed in Dijon. And you can now dive into the mosaicist’s creative process, from choosing the pothole and selecting the elements and colors to preparing the mosaic and completing its final installation.More info: Instagram | maps.app.goo.gl | Facebook#1 Ours BlancLocation: 6 Pl. François Rude, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoisetAs a child, Fanny had already found what defined her style: a mix of geometric patterns and colorful figurative work, often floral, always trimmed with a black-and-white border. #2 Cygne Et CapucinesLocation: 32 Rue Jeannin, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#3 HortensiaLocation: Rue du Docteur Maret, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoisetHer sidewalk mosaics, or flacking, didn't begin until years later, inspired by fellow French artist Ememem. The true turning point came when she spotted a small pothole right at the foot of her building, and together with her eight-year-old daughter, she planted her first mosaic flower inside it. That moment birthed her signature slogan: "May flowers grow on asphalt!" (in French, "Que les fleurs poussent sur le goudron!").#4 Renard Digitale GodransLocation: 14 Rue des Godrans, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#5 Fleurs ChampignonLocation: 6 Bis Rue Musette, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoisetBefore she knew it, the press was calling her a street artist acting in broad daylight, and admiring her work. But creating these public installations required meticulous care, starting with the pothole itself. As Fanny shared with us: “It needs to be deep and clearly defined, so the mosaic sits securely without pieces sticking out and being damaged by scooters, bikes, or strollers.” Beyond practicality, the location needs to inspire her. Fanny looks for places that hold a personal or historical meaning: in front of her parents’ former oriental rug & décor shop, outside her favorite bars, along routes she often walks by, or in places with a story of their own.#6 CrocusLocation: Rue du Chapeau Rouge, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#7 Rouges Gorges RudeLocation: Rue François Rude, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoisetOnce she chooses the canvas, she turns to her preferred medium: durable, non-slip ceramics, which she often hunts down during supplier inventory clearances. To those, she adds unexpected details: small Chinese marbles found at flea markets, fragments of patterned plates, metal pendants, beads, and other treasures, giving each creation its own unique character.#8 Fleurs BleuesLocation: 8 Rue du Palais, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#9 Blaireau AirellesLocation: 78 Rue Monge, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoisetThe final step, the installation, leaves her at the mercy of the weather. She shared her experience: “It can't be too cold or too hot, and it must stay dry for two consecutive days. That creates a seasonal rhythm to my work.#10 Chat Sorcière ZolaLocation: Place Émile Zola, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#11 Petit Teckel Et PissenlitLocation: Rue Musette, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoisetBut at the end of the day, why would someone keep dedicating time and allocating creative energy to mending the city's cracks? As the artist shared with Bored Panda: “Nothing but pure joy! It's a wonderful experience that brings me into contact with so many people. From building friendships to exchanging with fellow artists like La Fée des Trottoirs in Montreal, to meeting passionate people who want to start making mosaics themselves and whom I gladly advise... I feel nourished by all these interactions.”#12 IrisLocation: 8 Rue de la Chouette, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#13 Violettes Des BoisLocation: 18 Rue Bannelier, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoisetShe further added: “What touches me most are the spontaneous reactions of passersby during installation. Homeless individuals whose sidewalk spots I decorate are among the most enthusiastic. Children, and especially grandmothers telling me they play treasure hunt games with their grandchildren, looking for my mosaics... That is truly priceless!”#14 ArumsLocation: 1 Pl. de la Libération, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#15 Fleurs AtheneumLocation: Esp. Erasme, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoisetNext time you are in Dijon, wander the city and see if you can spot all of Fanny Pitoiset's mosaics. Be up-to-date about their locations through Fanny’s Instagram.Besides her other artistic work, she began making papier-mâché animal mask heads and posting staged, humorously captioned photos of them on social media, which you can explore on her Instagram.#16 Bareuzai Grappe De LilasLocation: Place du Bareuzei, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#17 JonquillesLocation: 71 Rue Jean Jacques Rousseau, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#18 MargueriteLocation: 53 Rue Jeannin, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#19 MyosotisLocation: 35 Rue Monge, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#20 PavotLocation: 5 Rue Chaudronnerie, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#21 Pensée Petite ReineLocation: Rue Vauban, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#22 Petite SourisLocation: 7 Rue Saumaise, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#23 Pigeon MusetteLocation: 2 Rue Quentin, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#24 Muscaris PoussinLocation: 3 Rue Philippe Pot, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#25 ScarabéeLocation: 7 Rue Montmartre, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#26 Serpent Lys RougeLocation: 21 Rue de la Préfecture, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#27 AnémonesLocation: Rue Audra, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#28 Fleur Du Condamné ZolaLocation: 9 Cr Madeleine, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#29 Rose RougeLocation: 106 Rue Berbisey, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#30 Fleurs Vieux LéonLocation: 52 Rue Jeannin, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#31 Fleur OrientaleLocation: 8 Rue Auguste Comte, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#32 Fleurs École DampierreLocation: 21 Rue Berlier, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#33 Fleurs Rue De GrayLocation: 20 Rue de Gray, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#34 Perce Neiges HermineLocation: 17 Bd Thiers, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset#35 OrchidéesLocation: 19 Pl. Saint-Michel, 21000 Dijon, France© Photo: fannypitoiset