Dmitry Prut is an artist at heart. Sure — after two years of owning a successful art and design showroom, Avant Gallery, and building relationships with some of the industry’s most notable names — one could call him a businessman. But it’s his passion for art and his forward-looking eye for great modern design that got him here.
“It was the work of Verner Panton,” Prut says, pointing to the Relaxer chair in his gallery, “that inspired me to get into this business.” He opened his first location on Miami Beach during Art Basel 2007, and then relocated it to the Design District for the 2008 installment, filling it with the works of Marcel Wanders, Arik Levy and Douglas Homer to name a few. He loves to use local artists, among them Purvis Young and Alex Vigilante, and tries to find pieces with “an edge.”
In addition to art and furniture, Avant also features an impressive selection of lighting products, including an enormous Venini chandelier in the center of the 5,000-square-foot space. “Everything must be unique and original,” Prut stresses, “and it’s very important that it flows with the rest of the atmosphere.” Like most artists, he’s particular about his work.
