2024 was a year of great loss for the art world, as we said goodbye to some of the most influential artists, curators, writers, and art dealers. Among them were well-known figures such as Faith Ringgold, Frank Stella, Richard Serra, Audrey Flack, Yong Soon Min, and Lorraine O’Grady. Tragically, we also mourned the loss of Palestinian artists who fell victim to Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.
One of the notable figures we lost was Brent Sikkema, the American art dealer and co-owner of the renowned Sikkema Jenkins & Company gallery in Manhattan. Sikkema was found dead in his Rio de Janeiro apartment, reportedly a victim of a stabbing. He was 75 years old.
Another loss was Lisa Hunt, the beloved American printmaker and designer who passed away at the age of 55. Fathi Ghaben, a Gazan self-taught painter and pioneer of post-Nakba visual arts, also left us at the age of 77 after being denied medical treatment by Israeli authorities.
Yong Soon Min, the Korean-American artist known for her manipulated portraits exploring Asian-American identity, passed away at the age of 70. Mar Dixon, the UK-based social media master who connected individuals to art institutions through internet campaigns, died at 53.
The art world also bid farewell to Richard Serra, the renowned American sculptor famous for his large-scale steel works challenging conceptions of time and space. Dinh Q. Lê, the multi-media and installation artist addressing post-war Vietnam, left us at the age of 56.
Faith Ringgold, the celebrated multi-media artist and activist known for her story quilts tackling social justice themes, passed away at 93. Frank Stella, the trailblazing Abstract sculptor and painter who defied categorization, died at 87.
We also lost Steve Albini, the music producer behind Nirvana’s “In Utero,” at 61. Joe Zucker, the Chicago-born painter who rejected Abstract Expressionism conventions, passed away at 82. Barbara Gladstone, the esteemed art dealer representing over 70 contemporary artists and estates, died at 89.
Chaim Peri, the Israeli gallerist dedicated to showcasing Palestinian and Bedouin artworks, died in Hamas captivity at 79. Anton Von Dalen, the artist and pigeon rearer of the East Village, passed away at 86 after decades of devotion to the neighborhood.
Audrey Flack, the internationally acclaimed artist and pioneer of the Photorealist movement, died at 93. Jacqueline de Jong, the Dutch painter known for avant-garde feminist works, left us at 85. June Leaf, the NYC-based artist curious about motion in her paintings and drawings, passed away at 94.
Bill Viola, the California-based video artist exploring human experiences, died at 73. Alex Janvier, the Indigenous abstract painter blending Denesuline imagery with contemporary styles, left us at 89.
Dereck Stafford Magnus, the artist, writer, and Baltimore Museum of Art guard, died at 46. David Anfam, the British curator and art historian specializing in Mark Rothko and Clyfford Still, passed away at 69. Rebecca Horn, the German artist known for pioneering body expansion art, died at 80.
Richard Mayhew, the landscape painter examining identity and place through vibrant-colored abstract works, passed away at 100. Kerri Dick, the Chilkat master weaver practicing traditional weaving, beading, and carving, died at 41.
Paul Lowe, the award-winning photojournalist shedding light on world conflicts, was tragically killed by his teenage son at 60. Patricia Johanson, the environmental artist creating large-scale public installations, died at 84.
Mahasen Al-Khatib, the Palestinian digital illustrator depicting life in Gaza, was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike at 32. Sarah Cunningham, the British painter of abstract large-scale oil works, was found dead at 31.
Sabina Khorramdel, the Tajik artist known for intuitive painting and video art, was found dead in an apparent murder at 33. Frank Auerbach, the German-born artist known for portraits and North London scenes, died at 93.
Eunice Parsons, the Organ-based artist influencing artists in the Pacific Northwest, passed away at 108. Anna Banana, the Canadian conceptual artist sparking social interaction with zines featuring a banana symbol, died at 84.
Nikki Giovanni, the poet, activist, and educator influential in the Black Arts Movement, died at 81. Steven Englander, the director of ABC No Rio, known for purchasing the nonprofit’s property for a dollar, passed away at 63.
Lastly, Lorraine O’Grady, the conceptual artist and critic subverting hierarchies from a Black feminist perspective, died at 90. Zilia Sánchez, the Cuban artist blending abstraction with the female form in “erotic topologies,” passed away at 98.
Each of these individuals made lasting contributions to the art world, and their legacies will continue to inspire generations to come. May they rest in peace.
