{"id":583870,"date":"2026-07-13T19:28:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T19:28:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/583870\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T19:28:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T19:28:21","slug":"helena-minginowicz-transforms-humble-paper-towel-into-ethereal-paintings-colossal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/583870\/","title":{"rendered":"Helena Minginowicz Transforms Humble Paper Towel into Ethereal Paintings \u2014 Colossal"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cCivilizations are remembered through their monuments, but understood through the things they throw away,\u201d says artist Helena Minginowicz<\/a>, whose sensitive paintings interrogate our understanding of value. Using airbrushed acrylic, which can be built up in lightweight, translucent layers, the artist takes one of the most quotidian household items as a starting point: paper towel.<\/p>\n

With its machine-embossed, moisture-wicking patterns, the absorbent paper comprises an instantly recognizable substrate. The precise, textured flourishes are aesthetically pleasing, and yet it\u2019s hard to completely separate them from our associations with mass-produced paper products that are designed for one-time use and disposability. This dichotomy sits at he heart of Minginowicz\u2019s practice, in which she explores \u201chow changing the hierarchy of materials can reshape the way we perceive value, dignity, and the human experience,\u201d she tells Colossal.<\/p>\n

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Minginowicz\u2019s embossed pieces from everyday domestic material are one facet of a broader multimedia approach to materiality in which she creates paintings on canvas and also painstakingly embosses delicate tissues. The paper towel works, in addition to some that are made on supermarket-style plastic bags, are then presented between thick slabs of acrylic, transforming them into objects with substantial heft and dimensionality.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery civilization constructs its own hierarchy of values,\u201d the artist says. \u201cIt decides what deserves to be preserved, admired, and passed on to future generations. Monuments, works of art, symbols, and myths preserve an image of humanity as we wish to remember it\u2014strong, beautiful, enduring, and heroic. Yet every monument has its reverse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minginowicz\u2019 imagery draws on the style of Renaissance<\/a> paintings, especially focusing on expressiveness, intimacy, and the idealized female figure. One might think of Sandro Botticelli\u2019s \u201cThe Birth of Venus\u201d or aristocratic portraiture<\/a> of the era. \u201cFor centuries, painting monumentalized what civilizations wished to remember: saints, heroes, gods, victories, myths, and ideals. I use that same language to ask a different question: Who deserves to be remembered with dignity? Not only heroes. Not only the victorious. But every human being.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minginowicz is currently working toward a solo exhibition at Galerie Prima<\/a> in Paris, which is slated to open on October 8. Follow updates and see more on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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