The artist

Anna’s roots originate from St-Petersburg (Russia), the city with an immense cultural heritage that has greatly influenced the artist. Volkova’s father played a major role in the development of her artistry. He was a known talented Russian documentary film maker, who taught at the State University of Culture and Arts and later a photographer liaised to the world famous Hermitage. He encouraged three-year-old Anna to make daily sketches, so she would practice to draw, compose and paint.

Anna obtained both a classical and modern art education, and the combination of the two approaches can be seen in her masterfully executed art works.

Volkova is mainly acknowledged for her porcelain and mosaic works, tiles and window installations which can be found in various museums, public spaces and private collections.

Anna has spent years studying and experimenting with different materials. She developed unique methods in porcelain techniques and polyurethane castings, which enable her to create extraordinary pieces of art. Anna lives and works in Amsterdam.

Education

  • 2005-2007
    Sandberg Institute, Amsterdam. Graduated July 2007
  • 1998-2001
    Gerrit Rietveld Academy, Amsterdam. Graduated July 2001
  • 1992-1998
    St-Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design. Graduated May 1998

“For the exhibition "The Dutch House. Dreams of Peter the Great" in the Peterhof State Museum Anna Volkova has created an installation with 50 porcelain tulips-favourite flowers of the tsar. Her tulips looked so alive that the visitors didn’t believe they are from porcelain. In the middle of the winter it was a blooming oasis in our museum.”

Elena Kalnitskaya | General Director of Peterhof State Museum. Russia

Porcelain flowers

Her porcelain artworks are a tribute to the inspiration that flowers have given to numerous artists and designers for hundreds of years. The variety of shapes and colours, brief existence and fragility of flowers fascinate her. She tries to catch their beauty and therefore chose porcelain for its cleanliness, plasticity and translucency. It represents purity as well as luxury and greatly expresses the grace of flowers.

Anna Volkova experiments with porcelain and developed some techniques based on old Chinese recipes that enable her to make extremely thin and translucent objects. Each flower is made by hand and gets its individual look after firing at a high temperature. The curly, almost baroque shape of the flower and its fragile surface make it look like a piece of jewellery.

Each flower is unique in its shape and colour combination. It is hand sculpted from tinted or white porcelain and fired at a high temperature. The non-glazed treatment allows for a gentle matte texture, giving the appearance of a real flower.

http://porcelaintulip.com/

“Capturing the fragility of the beauty of the flower, keeping what is most ephemeral and making it timeless, immortal, Anna has been able to transcribe it into an eternal art work while being sensitive to the natural force of the beauty of flowers.”

Thierry Boutemy | florist

Mosaic

From an early age Anna was making sketches every day of what she saw around her. Over the years, making thousands of drawings and studies for her art works, she honed her technique to perfection.

Volkova masterly transforms her detailed sketches into mosaic representations. On the basis of perfectly thought through scenes, she conveys the essence of images in coloured pieces of glass, stones or tiles.

Anna’s first mosaic floor was her graduation project at the Rietveld Academy, titled ‘My Past’. This work immediately made a big impression and was acquired by the Ceramics Museum Princessehof in Leeuwarden. Her mosaic baptismal font and the wall panels for the Orthodox parish of St. Nicholas of Myra in Amsterdam is a deep, soulful, masterfully executed art work. Keeping traditions, Anna, nevertheless, has created very modern and original mosaic – a jewel in the church in Amsterdam.

With her talent for translating stories, cultures or ideas into mosaic still lives she also creates large-scale works measuring over 60m2.

“I know Anna Volkova for years as a nice person, an interesting artist and a great craftsman”

Cok de Rooy / Owner of The Frozen Fountain, Amsterdam

Floral composition, hand sculpted porcelain

Mirror (detail), porcelain, hand-sculpted, 72 cm,
Commissioned by Princessehof Museum, Leeuwarden

Artichoke, hand sculpted porcelain. 50 cm

Wigs series "Vanitas", porcelain, hand-sculpted, 35 cm;
For the exhibition at the Nederlandsche Bank, Amsterdam

Porcelain flowers, hand-sculpted; installation by
Thierry Boutemy, Brussels, Belgium

Porcelain, hand-sculpted, 40-65 cm, for the exhibition in Museum Willem van Haren, The Netherlands

Porcelain, hand-sculpted, 35 cm, private collection, Belgium

Porcelain, hand-sculpted, 65 cm, private collection, Russia

Porcelain, hand-sculpted, 30 см, The Museum of Fine Arts, , Houston, The USA

Porcelain, hand-sculpted, 30-62 cm, private collection, Russia

Porcelain, hand-sculpted, 28 см, The Museum of Fine Arts, , Houston, The USA

Floral composition, hand sculpted porcelain

Porcelain, hand-sculpted, 29 см, The Museum of Fine Arts, , Houston, The USA

Porcelain, hand-sculpted, private collection, Russia

Porcelain, hand-sculpted, private collection, Russia

Porcelain, hand-sculpted, 40-55 cm, private collection, Russia

Biënnale Masterly The Hague, floral compositions, hand sculpted porcelain

Porcelain, hand-sculpted, 45 cm, private collection, The Netherlands

Porcelain, hand-sculpted, 28 cm, private collection, The Netherlands

Porcelain, hand-sculpted, 55 cm, private collection, Great Britain

PAN Amsterdam, Gallery Mokum, floral composition (detail), hand sculpted porcelain

Porcelain, hand-sculpted, 45 cm, Gallery Artefice, Russia

Porcelain, hand-sculpted, 45 см, The Museum of Fine Arts, , Houston, The USA

Porcelain, hand-sculpted, 35 cm, private collection, Russia

Wigs series "Vanitas", porcelain, hand-sculpted, 40 cm;
For the exhibition at the Nederlandsche Bank, Amsterdam

Wigs series "Vanitas", porcelain, hand-sculpted, 50 cm;
For the exhibition at the Nederlandsche Bank, Amsterdam

Porcelain, hand-sculpted, 42 cm, private collection, Russia

Iris, hand sculpted porcelain. 43 cm

Floral composition, porcelain, hand sculpted, private collection

Vase, hand sculpted, porcelain

Vases and flowers, hand sculpted porcelain; photo credit Dilyara Ramazanova

Installation with the porcelain tulips. Exhibition "The Dutch House. Dreams of Peter the Great" in the Peterhof State Museum

Installation with the porcelain tulips. Exhibition "The Dutch House. Dreams of Peter the Great" in the Peterhof State Museum

‘My Past’, floor installation, ceramic memory tiles, glazes, acquired by the Ceramics Museum Princessehof in Leeuwarden

‘My Past’, floor installation, ceramic memory tiles, glazes, acquired by the Ceramics Museum Princessehof in Leeuwarden

"Still Life"mosaics (detail), 70 m2, in assignment for the Zuidelijke Land- en Tuinbouw Organisatie (ZLTO), The Netherlands

"Still Life"mosaics (detail), 70 m2, in assignment for the Zuidelijke Land- en Tuinbouw Organisatie (ZLTO), The Netherlands

"Still Life"mosaics (detail), 70 m2, in assignment for the Zuidelijke Land- en Tuinbouw Organisatie (ZLTO), The Netherlands

Baptismal font and the wall panels (detail) for the Orthodox parish of St. Nicholas of Myra in Amsterdam

Baptismal font and the wall panels (detail) for the Orthodox parish of St. Nicholas of Myra in Amsterdam

Stained glass door
Comissioned by ArtPartner, Aardwijk

Stained glass window (detail), polyurethane, 60 cm;

Stained glass window, polyurethane, 180x120 cm; Commissioned by ArtPartner, Rijswijk

Stained glass window (detail), polyurethane, 180x120 cm;
Commissioned by ArtPartner, Rijswijk

Hand sculpted porcelain

Installation, hand sculpted porcelain flowers, textile

Floral composition (detail) for the Aronson Antiquairs Amsterdam; hand sculpted porcelain, cobalt

Floral composition (detail) for the Aronson Antiquairs Amsterdam; hand sculpted porcelain, cobalt

3-part composition (with the delft blue antique vase) for the Aronson Antiquairs Amsterdam; hand sculpted porcelain

Floral sculpture (detail of the 3-part composition) for the Aronson Antiquairs Amsterdam; hand sculpted porcelain with pigments

More artworks

Anna Volkova masters the craft down to the finest details. Her creativity, imagination and talent make her an extraordinary visual artist. This can be seen as well from her unique window and door installations. Anna came up with the original technique based on polyurethane – an innovative and modern alternative to the classic stained glass.

Anna’s exquisite flowers invoke the magic qualities of porcelain. In her other sculptures, such as the series of porcelain wigs for the Vanitas project or porcelain mirrors, the originality and the complexity of the technique are even more striking. But Anna doesn’t stop on what she has already achieved – she is constantly experimenting and expanding the extent of her skills.

“Tulips were symbolic for the prosperity of the Dutch Republic in the 17th Century. The beautifully coloured and fragile porcelain tulips of Anna Volkova are made by hand, following the old traditions and show us the purity and the grace of these flowers.”

Ab van der Touw | Chair Supervisory Board University of Leiden

Exhibitions | Commissions

Exhibitions

2024TEFAF, Aronson Antiquairs of Amsterdam, Maastricht
2022Thierry Boutemy, Brussels, Belgium
2022Kunstgalerie Oudenhove, Museumkwartier, The Hague
2022Botanical Beauty, Mokum Gallery, Amsterdam
2021Thierry Boutemy, Brussels, Belgium
2021Amsterdam PAN, Mokum Gallery
2021Biennale Masterly The Hague
2019Great Peterhof Palace, Russia
2018Het Bruggenhuisje, Amsterdam
2018Artefice Gallery, St-Petersburg, Russia
2017Punt WG, Amsterdam
2017Keukenhof, Lisse
2014Gemeente Museum Den Haag
2014State cultural centre, St-Petersburg, Russia
2013Punt WG, Amsterdam
2013Stadhuis Apeldoorn
2012Lloyd Hotel & Cultural Embassy, Amsterdam
2012Glass Art Fair, Leerdam
2011Glass Art Fair, Leerdam
2011Academisch Medisch Centrum, Amsterdam
2009Dienst Belastingen Gemeente Amsterdam
2008Museum Willem van Haren, Heerenveen
2008Museum Waterland, Purmerend
2008SBK Amstelveen
2007Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, Germany
2007Keramiekmuseum Princessehof, Leeuwarden
2007W139 Basement, Amsterdam
2007De Nederlandsche Bank, Amsterdam
2007Keramiekmuseum Princessehof, Leeuwarden
2006ArtKitchen Gallery, Amsterdam
2006KunstVlaai, Amsterdam
2006Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam
2006Mart House, Amsterdam
2006IMM Cologne, Germany
2002 – 2005KunstRAI
2005Ministry of Education, Culture & Sciences
2004Filmmuseum, Amsterdam
2004BLIK Gallery, Rotterdam
2003Keramiekmuseum Princessehof, Leeuwarden
2003Schröder Gallery, Den Haag
2002Keramiekmuseum Princessehof, Leeuwarden
2002Academisch Medisch Centrum Amsterdam
2001Shell Research Center Amsterdam

Commissions

Keukenhof
Gemeente Amsterdam
Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, Germany
De Regionale Instelling voor Beschermd Wonen (RIBW)
Zuidelijke Land- en Tuinbouw Organisatie (ZLTO)
Russian Orthodox Church Amsterdam
De Nederlandsche Bank, Amsterdam
AMC hospital, Amsterdam
ArtPartner, Amsterdam
Gemovers Factory Nieuwkoop
MN Services, Rijswijk
One Minute Video Festival Amsterdam
FMO Bank, The Hague
Slotervaart Hospital Amsterdam
Amnesty International
Keramiekmuseum Princessehof, Leeuwarden
Privé installaties en -collecties

“Volkova is selected for the Biennale Masterly The Hague because of her outstanding skills and craftmanship. Our visitors love her work.”

Nicole Uniquole | Curator Biennale Masterly The Hague