At a glance, Vladimir Kanevsky's flowers appear to be plucked from Mother Nature. But upon closer inspection, you'll find that these lush hollyhocks, lilies of the valley, wild daisies and white hydrangeas (complete with insect bites and bent stems) are impeccably crafted sculptures.
The Ukraine-born, New Jersey-based artist got his start over two decades ago with a tableware project for designer Howard Slatkin, and quickly garnered an impressive list of admirers and collectors, from interior designers Charlotte Moss and Alberto Pinto, fashion house Dior, to stylemakers Deeda Blair and Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis. Kanevsky cites 18th-century European botanical prints as the inspiration behind his creations, which are made of metal and clay and painted with painstaking detail. According to WSJ, the one-of-a-kind creations take roughly a month to complete and can cost between $3,000 to $20,000.
"Flowers and plants have been the most prevalent topic in art and architecture since the beginning of history, from ancient Egyptian columns, to Dutch still lifes, to Gaudi's buildings," says the artist, who was originally trained as an architect. "There is everything in flowers - history, drama, structure, beauty, and fragrance."
Up next for Kanevsky? A huge retrospective show at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. In the meantime, you can admire his marvelous work below and on his website.
