Roberto Lugo's monumental vase and fire hydrant installed in Madison Square Park

Roberto Lugo, a ceramic artist known for merging graffiti, hip-hop, and Puerto Rican heritage, has unveiled a public art commission in New York's Madison Square Park. Titled 'Alfarero del Barrio (Village Potter)', the installation features two monumental sculptures: a 20-foot-tall urn and a 15-foot-tall fire hydrant. The urn, modeled on an antique Herend design originally made for Queen Victoria, is decorated with symbols and portraits honoring Lugo's Puerto Rican roots, including music superstar Bad Bunny, US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and Lugo's own parents. Graffiti-inspired motifs such as hibiscus blooms, vines, chickens, dominoes, and Puerto Rican flags wrap the sculpture. The fire hydrant, painted bright orange-red and tagged with graffiti, references Lugo's childhood in Philadelphia, where his father would open hydrants for kids to cool off. Lugo sees the hydrant as a metaphor for the state of emergency faced by marginalized communities, especially as the US celebrates its 250th anniversary. The installation is on view through December 6, 2026. Lugo's work is held in collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.