Brent Sikkema was a high-culture aficionado whose final Instagram post was a sumptuous photo of the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris. But the Manhattan art dealer — who was found stabbed to death at his home in Rio de Janeiro on January 15 — had a secret side. Sikkema, 75, had fallen in love with and married a self-admitted male escort and, social media posts show, was a fixture on the gay scene in Cuba, Rio, and Fire Island, NY, for a time.
He was also a devoted father embroiled in a bitter divorce that began in March and was ongoing at the time of his death, according to public records and Brazilian investigators. The weapon may have been scissors, a box cutter or a screwdriver, according to Art Forum. Friends and former clients of the gallerist said they were in shock over his death and secret life. Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Sikkema, who counted New Yorker theater critic Hilton Als and artist Muniz among his closest friends, married Daniel Garcia Carrero, 53, shortly before the birth of their son, Lucas, now 14, by surrogate in California.
In the book, Garcia recounts the raw story of how he was sexually abused as a child by family members and then took up prostitution to survive and escape from the Communist island. In his book, he writes about making enough money in three months to pay for a new house for his impoverished family in Cuba. He lived in the lush Botanical Gardens neighborhood next door to the studios of some of the artists he represented even though he hated the heat, he said.
I gave him a place to live, I helped him out. I never imagined he had that kind of personality because his mother was a doctor, someone of excellent reputation. All he wants is for the whole truth to come out. Sikkema, who had been set to return to New York City on Jan. I am shattered, shocked, and broken by his unjustifiable tragic demise. In an Instagram post from Sept. In , Sikkema posted a black-and-white photo on Instagram that showed him as a baby posing with his mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother.
He regularly rubbed elbows with luminaries such as Michelle Obama. Never Miss a Story Sign up to get the best stories straight to your inbox. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters. Sikkema shared son Lucas right with his estranged husband, Daniel Garcia Carrera Sikkema left , a self-described former escort.
