“Civilizations are remembered through their monuments, but understood through the things they throw away,” says the artist Helena Minginowiczwhose 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 mundane household items as a starting point: paper towels.
With its machine-embossed, moisture-wicking patterns, the absorbent paper consists of an instantly recognizable substrate. The precise, textured decorations are aesthetically pleasing, and yet it is difficult to completely separate them from our associations with mass-produced paper products designed for single use and disposability. This dichotomy is at the 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 relief pieces from everyday household materials are one facet of a broader multimedia approach to materiality, in which she creates paintings on canvas and also painstakingly embosses delicate fabrics. The paper towel works, in addition to some created on supermarket-style plastic bags, are then presented between thick sheets of acrylic, transforming them into objects of significant weight and dimensionality.
“Every civilization constructs its own hierarchy of values,” says the artist. “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 want to remember it: strong, beautiful, enduring and heroic. Yet every monument has its downside.”
Minginowicz’s visual language is based on the style of Renaissance paintings, with the main emphasis on expressiveness, intimacy and the idealized female figure. You might think of Sandro Botticelli’s ‘The Birth of Venus’ or aristocratic portrait of the era. “For centuries, painting has monumentalized what civilizations wanted 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 just heroes. Not just the victors. But every human being.”
Minginowicz is currently working on a solo exhibition in Gallery Prima in Paris, which is expected to open on October 8. Follow updates and see more Instagram.
