Gemma Rolls-Bentley joins Avant Arte as Chief Curator

Avant Arte, the creative marketplace that makes discovering and owning art radically more accessible, announced today that Gemma Rolls-Bentley has joined as Chief Curator.

Gemma Rolls-Bentley, Chief Curator, said: “Since its inception, Avant Arte has been leading the way in introducing artists to a new generation of collectors and art lovers. The team have built incredible relationships with artists, giving them the time and space to create and experiment. I am thrilled to be joining them as they scale to continue to build a diverse programme of artists, curators and partnerships. I firmly believe that everyone should have access to art whether it’s hanging on their walls, or on their Instagram feed. Avant Arte is making this happen and I couldn’t be happier to work with a team that empowers artists and opens up access to their work.”

In the newly-created role, Rolls-Bentley will run Avant Arte’s artist and curatorial strategy. She will work alongside Christian Luiten, Head of Artist Community, to build relationships with artists, curators and the wider cultural ecosystem. Rolls-Bentley will also be responsible for managing partnerships with cultural institutions, museums and charitable organisations. Based in London, she will manage teams across Avant Arte’s offices in London and Amsterdam.

Before joining Avant Arte, Rolls-Bentley was Curatorial Director at Artsy where she led the online art platform’s curatorial strategy. She is a visiting lecturer at the Royal College of Art and co-chairs the board of trustees of #Queercircle, a charity that supports art, culture, health and well-being in the LGBTQ+ community and she is a member of the Courtauld Association Committee board.

Mazdak Sanii, CEO and Co-Founder, said: “Gemma embodies the principle of putting artists first and has built a strong reputation for working with some of the world’s leading artists and institutions. I’m so excited that she is joining the team at an important moment in our growth — as we scale the business thoughtfully, delivering meaningful experiences for our artists and collectors, and build towards Avant Arte’s mission of bringing a new generation into discovering and collecting art.”

Christian Luiten, Head of Artist Community and Co-Founder, said: “Gemma is widely known for opening the art world to new voices and I am thrilled that she will be bringing her years of experience to Avant Arte. Artists are at the heart of everything we do at Avant Arte. We have big ambitions and with Gemma on board, I look forward to us growing our community of artists, collectors and art lovers.”