The Immortal Bouquets of Anna Volkova: The Master of Porcelain

In an art world impacted by endless scrolling, stunt art, and immediate gratification, Anna Volkova’s work—and, by extension, her social media—stops viewers in their tracks. Nicknamed “The Master of Porcelain,” the critically acclaimed St. Petersburg–born female artist has cultivated an impressive and rapidly blossoming body of work. As a porcelain artisan, Volkova has mastered the medium through her lifelike floral bouquets. Upon gazing at the delicate forms, one can hardly believe they aren’t growing from the soil. Yet behind her creations’ impressive wow factor lies a daunting dedication and labor of love.

All handmade, the bespoke arrangements range from regal orchids to freewheeling Dutch tulips. Decorated in bright colors, the flowers are as eye-catching as candy. With meticulous attention to compositional form, organic detail, and vibrant imagination, Volkova demonstrates unmatched craftsmanship and innovation. In her process, Anna blends polyurethane casting and porcelain, using techniques rooted in ancient Chinese porcelain recipes. She has often said she is drawn to the medium for its translucency and purity. She is also fascinated by the fleeting nature of blooms. By “preserving” their likeness in still porcelain, Volkova defies nature. Her everlasting bouquet sculptures are dexterous works that can fill a space with natural beauty for centuries. Often exploring recurring themes of fragility, Anna leaves her porcelain unglazed to produce a delicate texture. This choice allows her flowers to take on a jewelry-esque finish—leaving viewers jaw-dropped.

The work ethic required to create these magnificent sculptural pieces is enormous. She sculpts each element of the flower—petal, leaf, and stem—individually by hand, using either tinted or white porcelain. According to the artist, her sense of discipline was instilled from an early age. Raised by a documentary filmmaker and professor at the Hermitage Museum, Anna was encouraged to draw daily as a way to practice her sketching and design skills. Her father’s background in documenting key moments in Russian culture also deeply influenced her. From St. Petersburg’s royal heritage and famous architecture to its artistic legacy, Volkova’s current work honors the historical figures of her homeland—Tsar Peter the Great among them. After completing her education at the Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design in St. Petersburg, Volkova moved to Amsterdam to pursue further studies.

Living in Amsterdam since 1998, Anna has worked with custom tiles, bespoke stained glass, and—most notably—her porcelain flowers. It’s no surprise that after her time at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy and the Sandberg Institute, she drew inspiration from the Dutch city’s historic floral industry and its 17th-century still life traditions. Dutch Old Masters like Ambrosius Bosschaert inform her floral motifs. Volkova often stages her porcelain bouquets in vintage Delftware vases, creating an intentional dialogue between the past and the present. Her series Whispers in Time juxtaposes porcelain flowers with 17th-century Delftware to present a visual conversation between two worlds—old and new.

It is important to note that Volkova brings forth a feminine touch and point-of-view to her creations. The concept of porcelain flowers is not a particularly original one. Her work draws parallels to Vladimir Kanevsky’s porcelain flowers, now on display at the Frick Museum on New York’s Upper East Side. Yet, through her baroque style, personal taste, historic research, and innovative techniques, Volkova still brings something new to the table.

After years of refining personal porcelain recipes and exacting sculpting techniques, her breakthrough exhibition solidified her place as one of the contemporary Masters of Porcelain. Informed by Amsterdam’s artistic legacy and St. Petersburg’s royal traditions, Anna presented Dutch House: Dreams of Peter the Great, a porcelain tulip installation at the Peterhof State Museum. The show explored the cultural exchange between Russia and the Netherlands, referencing Tsar Peter I’s travels to Amsterdam during his Great Embassy. In particular, it nodded to his stay at the now-called Czar Peter House in Zaandam. The Tsar’s interest in Dutch shipbuilding helped usher in a period of modernization and openness in Russia. Volkova’s interest in these themes points to her global perspective and desire for cultural dialogue.

Volkova’s work has been collected by major institutions, including the Dutch Central Bank, the Hermitage Contemporary Porcelain Department, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the Princessehof Museum, and the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe. She has also garnered significant interest from private collectors seeking to bring her one-of-a-kind floral arrangements into their homes. Whether standing as stately décor or breathtaking centerpieces, her porcelain flowers breathe the elegance of nature into any collection—with beauty designed to last for generations.