My name is Minna Straus-

 A 28-year-old self-taught artist from Columbus, Georgia. I started painting in 2023 during a season of my life when I needed something to hold onto, and painting became a huge part of my journey into sobriety and finding myself again.

My work is colorful, surreal, playful, and sometimes a little strange. I love mixing humor and beauty with darker or more thoughtful ideas, often using unusual characters, exaggerated figures, symbolism, and unexpected combinations of color. I’m drawn to the things that make us human — our emotions, contradictions, quirks, and the weirdness of simply being alive.

I don’t think every painting needs to be explained. Sometimes I just want to make something that makes you stop, smile, wonder, or feel something.

What started as a way to get through a difficult chapter has become one of the greatest parts of my life. I’m still learning, still experimenting, and still figuring out where this journey takes me — one painting at a time.