Yakov Skulskyi is an art historian, art dealer, writer and art expert specialising in the work of artists connected with the Ukrainian lands that formed part of the Russian Empire, as well as in the wider fields of Ukrainian, Russian and Jewish art.

His professional work includes attribution and provenance research, the development of private collections, the identification of previously unknown works and archival materials, advice to collectors and art-market professionals, and cooperation with museums and research institutions.

He is the founder and director of the Ladislav Trakal Foundation and the author of the first monograph devoted to the artist. Through the Foundation, he leads an international research and publishing programme aimed at restoring Trakal’s place in Ukrainian, Czech and European art history.