A man was arrested in Brazil on Thursday in connection with the killing of Brent Sikkema, a New York art dealer who was found with stab wounds in his Rio de Janeiro apartment this week.
The man was apprehended at a gas station between the cities of Uberaba and Uberlandia, about 600 miles northwest of Rio de Janeiro, according to the Rio police, who said he was the suspect in a robbery resulting in death.
They said the man had traveled from São Paulo to Rio before Sikkema’s death and was identified with the help of security camera footage. That footage showed him exiting a parked car outside the dealer’s home in the early hours of Sunday morning. A police statement did not identify him or whether he knew the dealer, but The Associated Press reported that the authorities said he was a Cuban man named Alejandro Triana Trevez.
The dealer’s namesake gallery, Sikkema Jenkins & Co., focuses on contemporary art and moved from the SoHo neighborhood to the Chelsea arts district in 1999.
Sikkema, 75, represented artists including Kara Walker, Vik Muniz, Sheila Hicks, Louis Fratino and Jennifer Packer. One of the gallery’s top artists, Jeffrey Gibson, is preparing to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale in April.
Alexander Gray, a New York gallerist, said this week that Sikkema nurtured a generation of artists exploring identity, representation and experimental forms.
Scott Briscoe, a spokesman for Sikkema Jenkins & Co., said it would soon announce a memorial to celebrate Sikkema’s life and accomplishments.
“The outpouring of love and appreciation for Brent has been overwhelming and a tremendous source of comfort to all of us at the gallery,” Briscoe said. “We thank everyone for their support and care during this difficult time.”
Ana Ionova contributed reporting.
