A federal jury in Manhattan found Daniel Sikkema guilty of hiring a hit man to murder his estranged husband, esteemed New York gallerist Brent Sikkema. The killing occurred in January 2024, when Brent Sikkema was stabbed to death in his Rio de Janeiro vacation home. The hit man, Alejandro Triana Trevez, a former security guard for the couple, testified that Daniel paid him over $10,000 for the murder. Daniel Sikkema, who denied the charges, now faces a mandatory life sentence and has said he will appeal.
This case has gripped the art world because Brent Sikkema was a highly influential figure: founder and co-owner of Sikkema Jenkins & Co. (now Sikkema Malloy Jenkins), he gave Kara Walker her first New York show and launched the careers of major contemporary artists including Mark Bradford, Jeffrey Gibson, Deana Lawson, Vik Muniz, Arlene Shechet, Shahzia Sikander, and Amy Sillman. At the time of his death, Jeffrey Gibson had just been chosen to represent the US at the 2024 Venice Biennale. The verdict closes a dramatic chapter that highlighted the intersection of personal tragedy, the art market, and the legal system.