Helena Minginowicz Transforms Humble Paper Towel into Ethereal Paintings

All images courtesy of Helena Minginowicz, shared with permission Helena Minginowicz Transforms Humble Paper Towel into Ethereal Paintings July 13, 2026 Art Kate Mothes Share Email Bookmark “Civilizations are remembered through their monuments, but understood through the things they throw away,” says artist Helena Minginowicz, 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. 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’s 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’s practice, in which she explores “how changing the hierarchy of materials can reshape the way we perceive value, dignity, and the human experience,” she tells Colossal. Minginowicz’s 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. “Every civilization constructs its own hierarchy of values,” the artist says. “It 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—strong, beautiful, enduring, and heroic. Yet every monument has its reverse.” Minginowicz’ imagery draws on the style of Renaissance paintings, especially focusing on expressiveness, intimacy, and the idealized female figure. One might think of Sandro Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” or aristocratic portraiture of the era. “For 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.” Minginowicz is currently working toward a solo exhibition at Galerie Prima in Paris, which is slated to open on October 8. Follow updates and see more on Instagram. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member now, and support independent arts publishing. Hide advertising Save your favorite articles Get 15% off in the Colossal Shop Receive members-only newsletter Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms Join us today! $7/month $75/year Explore membership options Related articles 'Remake' Reimagines Master Works of Art Art Historical Masterworks Come Alive at Annual Halloween Parade in Kawasaki, Japan A Photo Book Contains Dozens of Rare Glimpses of Salvador Dalí's Seaside Home and Studio Download More Than 300 Art Books From the Getty Museum's Virtual Library 'Cat' Is a Purr-fect Celebration of Felines in Art Throughout the Centuries The Sandwich Book Trending See Peter Marlow’s ‘The English Cathedral’ at London’s Oldest Gothic Church Trompe-L’œil Paintings by Jason Limon Reveal a Hidden Skeletal World Cocoa Plantations Set the Scene for Divine Events in Marc Padeu’s ‘Memento Vivere’ Experience Ana Mendieta’s Visceral, ‘Neolithic’ Work in a Major Survey Divine Sculptures Revere a Yorùbá Goddess in Nigeria’s Ọṣun-Òṣogbo Sacred Grove Helena Minginowicz Transforms Humble Paper Towel into Ethereal Paintings International Aerial Photographer of the Year Contest Highlights the World from Above Dried and Pressed Flowers Are Molded into Delicate Sculptural Vessels by Shannon Clegg