Ceramicist Who Fixed Broken Tile in Subway Launches Platform

Artist Eujue, (aka Eu Pottery) made waves a few weeks ago for her unique intervention in the New York City subway. After noticing a missing tile on the wall of the Delancey-Essex Street subway station in Manhattan, she produced her own tile and replaced the missing one. Made of ceramic and covered in a thick layer of green moss, her effort added a touch of greenery to the gritty underground. Now, Eujue wants to scale up this embellishing project, and is rallying the artistic community to make it happen.

While the answer has been overwhelmingly positive, determining the next steps hasn’t been as straightforward. After her work of art went viral, Eujue got in touch with Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s team, who referred her to MTA Art & Design, which oversees the visual and performing arts that are presented throughout the MTA system. While appreciative of her interest, the team revealed that the subway tiles are not within their area of responsibility, nor do they present temporary installations of ceramics or other media.

Luckily, this hasn’t discouraged the talented ceramicist. She has since launched a website called NYC Tile Watch, where people can submit reports of empty patches in subway walls and dream up what type of artwork could take its place. As of writing, the project features 95 approved reports, which range from a single broken tile to large missing areas, affecting even the colorful pieces that indicate the station’s name.

Aware that the endeavor could benefit from all types of creatives, Eujue posted an Artist Interest Form, where NYC creatives who’d like to collaborate in helping replace the missing subway tiles can enter their information. “This form will help me gauge who’s out there and what’s possible,” she writes. Among those who have already signed up are fellow ceramists as well as illustrators, painters, and photographers. “Clearly there is a community of people who want to make this happen,” she adds.

The artist says she was inspired by a recent visit to Seoul’s Wall of Hope to turn the subway into a city-wide canvas for all those who want to express themselves. This public art installation in Korea features about 20,000 hand-painted ceramic tiles containing art and messages calling for peace, making it a colorful and uplifting landmark. “It reminded me how meaningful it can be to literally leave your mark on a city,” Eujue says.

To stay up to date with the artist, make sure to follow Eu Pottery on Instagram. To submit your own discovery of a missing or broken tile, head over to the NYC Tile Watch website.