Skip to content
Watch
Shop
Subscribe
Atlas 03 / 08

Helena Minginowicz Paints on Paper Towels. It Shouldn’t Work, But It does.

These remarkable paintings are done on ordinary paper towel.

By Moss & Fog1 min read

Polish artist Helena Minginowicz airbrushes faces, bodies, and animals onto paper towels, tissues, and cosmetic sheet masks. Things with a lifespan measured in seconds.

A close-up of a textured paper towel featuring a softly blurred image of a person's face, partially visible with warm tones.

The disposable surface does real work. Embossed patterns, folds, and creases don’t hide behind the image. They become it. A face peers through quilted texture. A figure dissolves into a crumple.

Close-up of a textured surface featuring a repetitive pattern, resembling knots or paisley designs, displayed in warm tones.

One piece is hand-embossed into a paper tissue. The title: GREAT EXPECTATIONS / I’m my own biggest disappointment.

Close-up of a textured surface with a decorative pattern featuring swirls and dots, exhibiting warm tones and subtle shadows.

Her work is currently part of Let’s Face It at Warsaw’s Galeria Lotna. Helena Minginowicz | @santa___helena

An abstract close-up image of a face printed on textured material with a patterned surface, featuring subtle colors and shadowy details.
The Moss & Fog ShopOn saleOn sale right nowLive markdowns from the shop. When they are gone, they are gone!See the sale29% offClassic 8-Ball Candle$34 $2425% offTerrazzo Gem Soap$12 $928% offThe Raven$15.95 $11.50
A painted facial mask with a scenic image featuring a white horse against a landscape backdrop with greenery and blue sky.
A close-up image featuring two hands gently touching on a textured surface, showcasing a sense of intimacy and connection.
An artistic representation of a parent holding a child, depicted with swirling patterns and soft colors against a textured white background.
A textured piece of paper towel with a blurred, faded portrait in the center, featuring soft colors and an abstract quality.
Close-up of two faces partially obscured by textured material with a pattern, showcasing intimate expressions.

By Moss & Fog Staff

Keep reading in Art

All of Art
SculptureA Japanese Island’s Colored Cliffs, Rebuilt as Painted Metal FurnitureArtInside Wildwood, the Stop-Motion Epic LAIKA Built Out of PortlandArtisanThis Intricate Origami Manual Typewriter Was Folded From One Uncut Sheet of Paper

Enjoying the wander?

Our best stories on design, nature and architecture, plus Fog Signals, our weekly letter of favorite finds. Free, and easy to leave anytime.

Keep reading