Anastasia Kopijevski, Founder, Skaya Art Agency
Anastasia Kopijevski was introduced to art from a very young age by her father, an avid art collector. The essence of their quality time was gallery strolling but more importantly the hunt for treasured art pieces at antique shops around Europe. Anastasia spent countless hours listening to her father talk about paintings, icons, antique jewellery and furniture elements, and developed a strong love for art history.
When she grew up, she completed a degree in business/economics and hospitality from the University of South Florida, initially pursued the banking industry and held a role as a loan officer for residential and commercial real estate with Advantage One – a USA-based credit union and correspondent lender.
Armed with investment and client asset management expertise, she saw how art and finance were closely related and made a bold move by leaving the secure industry and pursuing her passion for art. This time, she completed a course in Curating from Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London.
Soon after, she took an opportunity to work within the interior design group at Interni, a luxury furniture showroom based out of Miami’s Design District. Harnessing her creative skills, Anastasia was able to incorporate her love for art into designs well received by clients.
Building a professional reputation, she went on to open another showroom and specialized in luxury décor for high-net-worth individuals, boutique stores, and hotels further harnessing her consultancy and client servicing skills. She would also partner up with galleries for projects and use their space to promote the artists she represented and their work.
Before transitioning fully into the art industry, Anastasia also dabbled in the New York fashion industry in 2013 as a creative director for a casual wear line. This experience offered her the opportunity to work with textures and other mixed mediums commonly found in contemporary art, offering additional insight.
Combining her expertise across banking, investments, design, and consultancy, Anastasia wanted to create a concept that utilized her skill sets and connections but also supported the art industry.
Upon relocating to Dubai in 2016, when the UAE’s art and creative scene was undergoing tremendous growth, Anastasia capitalized on this opportunity and founded Skaya Art Agency.
Since its inception, the firm has established a reputation as a leading specialty art consultancy covering multiple aspects of the industry. Fulfilling a need for the UAE’s growing art scene, Skaya Art Agency’s services include artist development, exhibition planning, logistics, and execution, collection management, and advisory services. They are also leveraging their network to organise art collections for interior design projects. Moreover, Skaya’s work has contributed immensely to building artist recognition where several emerging artists have quickly progressed to secure deals, showcase their work and be represented by prominent international galleries.
Anastasia is currently involved in all aspects of the business including marketing and sales planning, artist placement with suitable galleries, organising art fairs, arranging private viewings and more. She works alongside her sister, Natalia, who joined in 2017 as an art curator and advisor.