Yakov Skulskyi is a gallerist, exhibition curator, art historian, and art dealer specializing in Ukrainian, Russian, and Jewish art, as well as American art from the periods of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. He explores the works of artists who emigrated to the United States from these regions and became key figures in American art.
Contribution to the Study of Global Art
Yakov Skulskyi was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, into an intelligent Jewish family. From his early years, Yakov was passionate about studying American art, biographies, and the works of American immigrants from the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, including Mark Rothko (1907–1970), Arshile Gorky (1904–1948), Alexander Archipenko (1887–1964), Louise Nevelson (1899–1988), Nikolai Fechin (1881–1955), and many others. Recognizing his research contributions to the art world at the age of 21, Yakov was listed as an art expert by the Russian Foundation "Art and Architecture of Russian Abroad."
Upon moving to the United States in 2022, he encountered unstudied biographies and the works of artists and sculptors who immigrated to America at the turn of the 20th century. Armed with intellectual and cultural skills acquired while working among art professionals in Europe, Yakov is already significantly influencing the discovery of new names within the American art market. His curatorial research aims to rediscover the names of modernism, which are currently undeservedly forgotten.
Preservation and Popularization of Visual Arts
Yakov Skulskyi, the founder of the First Artist Foundation in Ukraine—the "Ladislav Trakal Foundation," is recognized in Ukraine for his significant contributions, particularly with the Ukraine Art Research 2021 event. He has played a crucial role in promoting the artist Ladislav Trakal and reintroducing his name to the wider public. Yakov dedicated himself to creating a book and organizing an exhibition from his collection of paintings by Ladislav Trakal (1873–1951). He found and facilitated the delivery of 119 works by this artist to Prague in 2019. The challenges were in searching for heirs and lost paintings, given that the artist lived in Ukraine until 1922, after which he returned to Czechoslovakia.
After extensive research and searches, Yakov found paintings and archival materials in Prague from the artist's great-grandson. This task took over a year and a half before he could make this important discovery and return Trakal's legacy to Ukraine. For his outstanding achievements related to organizing an exhibition and writing a book about the artist Ladislav Trakal, Yakov received letters of appreciation from the governor of the Kharkiv region, the Minister of Culture of Ukraine, Dmitry Gorbachev (known as the most influential art historian in Ukraine), Valentina Myzgina (the director of the Kharkiv Art Museum), and art historian Olga Denisenko, among many other European art historians and dealers.
Moreover, Yakov became the youngest recipient of the prestigious 'Golden Fund of the Nation' award, personally presented by the Minister of Culture of Ukraine, for his unique contribution to the study of visual arts. Among Yakov's portfolio is the intriguing century-long fate of the collection of Eduard Grunwaldt (1856–1915). In 1904, he brought a vast collection of paintings from the Russian Empire to the U.S. for a large-scale exhibition during the St. Louis World's Fair held alongside the Olympic Games. Seemingly lost for more than a century, the collection, consisting of works by Ilya Repin (1844–1930), Nicholas Roerich (1874–1947), Nikolai Chimona (1864–1929), and many other great artists, has been partially found thanks to Yakov's expertise and talent. The ongoing work aims to reintroduce this unique collection to the world.
International Activity
Yakov Skulskyi collaborates with numerous galleries worldwide, from Kyiv to Hong Kong. Recently, the "Les Noms Gallery" approached him to organize an exhibition of Ukrainian artists in California. American collectors and art dealers regularly seek his expert opinion on specific works, which is extremely important not only in the United States but also in other countries.
Seller of Eternity and Connoisseur of Classics
Yakov Skulskyi is confident that art is immortal and leaves a memory of us for future generations. It develops, teaches us to think, and nurtures taste. Finally, art is a profitable business and a successful investment of capital. He promotes interesting artists in the American market, collaborates with prestigious galleries, and works on building his own image as a world-class specialist. All of this compels the art dealer not to confine himself within the four walls of his gallery but to attend international art events, establishing his pool of collectors.
Yakov has conducted a considerable number of analyses and attributions confirming the authenticity of works of art. This forms the foundation of earnings; for example, a painting initially valued at $200, after his expertise, is sold for $200,000. Studying the works of Boris Grigoriev, a renowned Russian artist, Yakov, starting with an initially unidentified painting with an illegible signature purchased at an auction in New Jersey for $200, determined its history, confirmed its authorship with solid facts, and created a market value in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, finding buyers worldwide (top works by Boris Grigoriev are valued at $3–5 million). Yakov often acquires works by well-known artists for small sums and, thanks to his expertise, helps them find new places in collections. One memorable case was with a work by Nikolai Chimona, a painting depicting Crimea, one of the pieces from the Eduard Grunwaldt collection mentioned earlier. The work was dirty, the canvas at the back was covered, and the history of the work was unknown. After conducting restoration work post-acquisition and researching archival materials and exhibition tags, Yakov realized the painting at a Macdougall Art auction with a value of £100,000–£200,000.
Curator of Art Projects and Collaboration with Galleries
Yakov Skulskyi is a renowned curator and art historian, and many galleries seek his assistance. His work involves promoting works of art, establishing connections, and communicating with art institutions in the United States. He also engages with collectors, providing them with detailed information about paintings and sculptures exhibited in galleries.
Currently, Yakov is working with the works of the forgotten American artist Revington Arthur (1907–1986)—a disciple of the great American artist Arshile Gorky (1904–1948). Revington is known for his abstract paintings from the 1940s to the 1970s, and some of his works are already on display in a gallery in Beverly Hills with which Yakov collaborates. His goal is to write the first book about the artist and organize an exhibition featuring more than 1,500 of his paintings. According to Yakov, the monograph and exhibition will be an interesting narrative presenting the artist's history and work from various perspectives, with the most exciting discoveries!
On the Path to the Dream of Opening New Galleries and Making Statements in the Global Art Market
Yakov Skulskyi's main dream is to organize and curate exhibitions featuring forgotten names and trends in American art for a broad audience. He aims to open new galleries in the United States with his professional team to realize this vision. His goals also include collaborating with top global auction houses and forming his personal collection of works by outstanding artists. Skulsky is involved in writing books and encyclopedias about American art, which will be published in the United States in the near future.
Currently, he plans to collaborate with Joshua Muravchik, a well-known American political scientist and writer, to organize an exhibition of works by Joel J. Levitt (1875–1937), a Ukrainian artist of Jewish descent who moved to the United States in 1917. An interesting fact: the artist studied at the Odessa Art School and under Ilya Repin in St. Petersburg. A book about this outstanding artist from Ukraine will also be prepared for the exhibition!
