Anna Petrova (formerly known as Ananda Dhama) was born into the fifth generation of a Moscow family of designers. Anna was immersed in the world of art from an early age. With a grandfather in publishing and a great-great-grandfather who was a master engraver, she turned naturally to drawing as a free form of expression. At ten, she began fundamental study at the Surikov Art Lyceum, and after school she often attended private lectures at the Moscow State Museum of Architecture.
Later, her conceptual thinking was shaped by architectural training at college and at a leading Russian academy of architecture—an institute with deep ties to avant-garde masters and the Bauhaus tradition—where students combined design with painting and life drawing, sculpture, art history, and philosophy. She believes this integrated method awakened a lifelong desire to seek first principles and a deeper understanding of any subject; this, in turn, led her to pursue a master’s degree in psychology, researching the balance between imagination and logic in creative development.
Her paintings often blend literal observation with poetic and metaphysical dimensions that reveal the invisible, enduring facets of existence. She sees herself, in a sense, as a director, borrowing methods from contemporary cinema, which in turn often draws on the old masters. For this reason, Anna stands as more than a contemporary artist: she belongs to a generation that embraces modern technologies while maintaining profound respect for artistic heritage.
She is deeply engaged with the traditions of many cultures and approaches their beliefs, customs, and values with reverence. Through her work, she seeks to act as an ambassador, celebrating the noblest qualities of each culture and weaving these virtues into a shared vision. In this way, art becomes not only a reflection of her own journey, but also a contribution to what uplifts and enriches the world.
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Old Masters artworks
