Indonesian collector Budi Tek dies, leaving legacy of museums and partnership with LACMA

Budi Tek, the Indonesian art collector and patron, has died. Born in Jakarta in 1957 to Chinese parents, he developed an interest in art in 2004. In 2006, he established the Yuz Museum in Jakarta. A second, larger Yuz Museum opened in Shanghai in 2014 within a repurposed aircraft hangar designed by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, housing his collection of approximately 1,500 works. The museums presented solo exhibitions for artists including Zhou Li, Random International, Sun Xun, Donna Huanca, Alicja Kwade, and KAWS. Tek was known for acquiring large-scale pieces such as Huang Yongping's Snake Tower (2009), Sun Yuan and Peng Yu's Freedom (2009), and Ai Weiwei's Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads (2011). His patronage extended to Asia Art Archive, the Indonesian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, and Zeng Fanzhi's retrospective in Paris. After a prolonged illness, Tek arranged a partnership between his foundation and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, ensuring his collection remains intact through co-ownership.