Helena Milos

Your artistic motto is, “Colours speak where words fail.” Which emotions or experiences most often lead you to paint, and how do you know when a work has expressed what words could not?

I am mainly inspired by longing, joy, melancholy and hope. Painting allows me to express feelings that I sometimes cannot put into words.

Helena Milos | On The Shoulder | 2026

You grew up and studied in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Austria. How have these different cultural environments shaped your artistic identity and visual language?

All three cultures have shaped me in different ways. Bosnia gave me a strong emotional connection, Croatia the light and Mediterranean atmosphere, and Austria shaped my artistic education.

You studied media, journalism, and Slavic studies before working as a journalist and photographer. How do observation and storytelling influence your paintings?

Observation is the foundation of my work. Through journalism and photography, I learned to look closely and tell stories through images. These experiences also influence my painting.

Helena Milos | Oskar | 2024

Photography and painting are both central to your practice. What can painting communicate that photography cannot—and vice versa?

Photography captures a moment. Painting gives me the freedom to transform that moment and bring in my own feelings, memories and thoughts.

You describe your creative process as intuitive and emotional. Does a painting usually begin with a particular image, memory, feeling, or colour?

A painting usually begins with a feeling or a mood. Sometimes it is simply an emotion that grows within me, and then the painting develops intuitively.

You work primarily with oil and acrylic on canvas. How do you choose between these materials, and what importance do layering, brushwork, and texture have in your process?

I choose the medium intuitively. Acrylic allows me to work quickly and spontaneously, while oil gives me more depth and softer transitions. Layers and texture give the painting its sense of life.

Helena Milos | The Red Flower | 2026

You find inspiration in everyday life and in what often remains unnoticed. What details, emotions, or subjects are attracting your attention at this stage of your artistic journey?

I am particularly interested in the inner turmoil of people – what happens deep within the human soul and often remains invisible from the outside. This is what I try to make visible through my art.