Art Gallery Owner Brent Sikkema Was Found Dead in 2024 — He Is Survived by His Husband and Son
Updated Jan. 18 2024, 1:14 p.m. ET
On Jan. 15, 2024, Brent Sikkema was found dead by his friend and lawyer in his townhouse in Rio de Janeiro, according to a report by The Daily Mail. The 75-year-old art dealer was known for his Manhattan art galleries that featured works by prominent artists, including Kara Walker, Jeffrey Gibson, and Viz Muniz. His work in the art world caught the attention of highly influential figures such as former First Lady Michelle Obama, with whom the art gallery owner was reportedly friends.
According to several reports, his body was discovered with multiple stab wounds. As of this writing, the killing is being investigated as linked to a robbery, and a suspect was even arrested in relation to the incident shortly after the body was found.
As Brazilian officials continue investigating the murder, Brent is now survived by his husband and son, with whom Brent was already in turmoil at the time of his death. Here's everything we know about Brent's widow.
Brent Sikkema was married at the time of his death, though his marital status is in question.
Not much is known about Brent's husband, though several sources claim that he is Cuban. His Instagram, which was last updated in 2021, does feature some pictures of his now 12-year-old son and references a man named Daniel in a romantic capacity, but his husband's information has been kept relatively private. However, some sources have gleaned some information regarding Brent's marital status at the time of his death.
According to a report by Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo (translated by Art News), Brent had been going through a divorce just before he was found dead.
Reportedly, his husband had been seeking $6 million in the separation and even refused to let Brent see their 12-year-old son throughout the process. As of this writing, no explicit link has been made between Brent's impending divorce and his subsequent murder, but representatives of Brent's estate declined to comment on the matter.
As for the murder investigation itself, Cuban national Alejandro Triana was arrested as a primary suspect on Jan. 18. At the time of his arrest, Alejandro had over $3000 on his person that was allegedly stolen from Brent's home.
According to The Daily Mail, video footage of Brent's townhouse seemingly places Alejandro in close proximity to the scene of the crime. The footage apparently shows Alejandro walking out of Brent's home on the Saturday prior to the time his body was discovered.
Alejandro was later arrested on a highway several hundred miles from Brent's home.
As of this writing, there is little information on how the murder has impacted Brent's husband and son.