Uliana Dobrova
I currently live in Tokyo, Japan, where I'm delving into the Japanese art world. For almost four years, I worked at Kagerou Bunko, a rare book and antique business, learning about Japanese paper, prints, scrolls, manuscripts, books, and ephemera. Recently, I decided to pursue my own path while also writing articles and essays about contemporary art in Japan.
I was born into a family of artists. Both of my parents are practicing artists, as were my grandparents on both sides. I first left home to study Russian linguistics and literature at the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, before understanding that art was my calling too. I transferred to Moscow State University’s history department, where I studied art history, eventually earning a PhD for my dissertation about the Italian Renaissance artist Melozzo da Forli.
In addition to my academic research, I have extensive experience in the art world, both inside museums and as an independent consultant and critic. I worked for several years in the Moscow Kremlin Museums, where I assisted with restoration, inventory and cataloguing. Since 2010, I have worked as an appraiser and consultant, including as the Head of the Appraisal Department at PM Tretyakov Independent Art Research & Expertise, a leading Russian art expertise firm. My art criticism and essays have been published in Strelka Mag, Calvert Journal, Art Focus Now and The Art Newspaper Russia, among others. I have taught and lectured on art history and the art market at top Russian universities, including Moscow State University, Russian State University for the Humanities, RMA Business School, and the Russian Financial University.