The ex-husband of art dealer Brent Sikkema, who was murdered in his Rio de Janeiro apartment in January, has been arrested in New York amid allegations that he played a role in the murder.
According to Inner City Press, Daniel Sikkema appeared in a Manhattan court on 20 March after being arrested and detained by US Marshals. Last month, investigators in Brazil revealed that they were seeking Daniel’s arrest in connection with Brent’s murder.
Shortly after the murder in mid-January, authorities in Brazil arrested a Cuban national, Alejandro Triana Prevez, who was accused of stabbing Brent to death in his apartment in Rio’s Jardim Botânico neighbourhood. Under interrogation, Prevez subsequently claimed that Daniel (who also has Cuban nationality) had offered to pay him $200,000 to kill his ex-husband and even sent him a key in order to access the victim’s apartment. The Sikkemas, who were married for nearly 15 years and had a son together who is now a teenager, had been embroiled in an acrimonious divorce since early 2022.
According to Inner City Press, Daniel has been accused of passport fraud in New York for seeking new passports for him and his son. His lawyers in Rio and New York did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Brent Sikkema founded the gallery now known as Sikkema Jenkins in Soho in 1981. The gallery moved to Chelsea in 1999 and later changed its name in 2003, with Michael Jenkins becoming a partner. It has long worked with many influential artists including Kara Walker, Vik Minuz, Sheila Hicks and Jeffrey Gibson (who is representing the US at this year’s Venice Biennale).
