Who was Brent Sikkema? Exploring what happened to New York art dealer in wake of Brazil stabbing

Well-known art dealer Brent Sikkema has died in New York after being reportedly stabbed multiple times. Sikkema's body was discovered by his attorney Simone Nunes, who was worried when there was no response from Brent for some time, and she entered his apartment by opening the door with a duplicate key, as per People magazine.

The police department has conducted a forensic investigation and said that they are searching for witnesses to find more details.

Art gallery Sikkema Jenkins & Co., located in Manhattan, paid tribute to Brent Sikkema through Instagram, revealing that he was the Director of Exhibitions at the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, New York.

Furthermore, they stated that he was the owner and director of Vision Gallery in Boston and continued,

"After moving to New York in 1991, Brent opened a contemporary art gallery in Soho named Wooster Gardens. The gallery moved to the Chelsea arts district in early 1999 and a few years later the name was changed to Sikkema Jenkins & Co."

Sikkema's dead body was reportedly transported to Rio's Legal Medical Institute, and further updates from the local authorities are currently awaited.

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Evidence discovered by the authorities is hinting towards Brent Sikkema's murder: Surveillance footage reveals suspect

Brent Sikkema's sudden death has led to a lot of questions, considering the way he was discovered inside his home. While the authorities have already launched an investigation, an alleged suspect has been found in the surveillance footage recorded at Brent's apartment, as per Hyper Allergic.

Sikkema's security team provided the recorded footage, which reportedly revealed a man coming out of a car outside the apartment during the early morning hours. He waited for some time before going inside the apartment.

The man came out of the place after 14 minutes and was spotted taking out his gloves. He then left the place at 4:02 a.m. The man's identity remains unknown, and the police have not arrested anyone. As per O Globo, the man reportedly had some cash in his hand.

Although Sikemma was found with stab wounds, the police did not find any weapon near him.

The investigators are currently searching for evidence from around 13 cameras near the apartment, and they reportedly found a man who was in the area for about 14 hours on the day of the alleged murder.

O Globo additionally stated that Simone Nunes could not reach Brent Sikkema after January 12, 2024. Sikkema was also supposed to travel to the US after four days.

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A little more about Brent Sikkema and his career

Artforum states that Brent Sikkema enrolled at the San Francisco Art Institute and served in various positions at the Visual Studies Workshop and Vision Galley. He then established a gallery called Wooster Gardens and brought Michael Jenkins as the director in 1996.

The gallery's name was later changed to Sikkema Jenkins & Co., and they represented multiple artists. He owned a townhouse at Jardim Botanico and occasionally resided there every year.

Brent was active on Instagram with more than 1,000 followers. His survivors include a husband and son, whose identities are not known.