In 2021, Mylène Choquette of the Canadian Conservation Institute found herself examining a painting attributed to the celebrated Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau. Initially appearing authentic with its characteristic bold shapes and vibrant colors, the piece underwent scrutiny revealing outlines and peculiar letters — R and LB — indicating it could have been created using a paint-by-numbers method. This painting was part of a larger investigation into one of Canada’s most extensive art fraud cases, involving over 1,000 counterfeit Morrisseaus.
Norval Morrisseau, a residential school survivor, was a pivotal figure in Canadian art, credited with founding the Woodland School of art. His vibrant paintings, often depicting spiritual figures, gained immense value and were sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, as demand surged, the number of fraudulent works also rose, prompting concerns about the authenticity of many paintings in circulation.
Despite Morrisseau’s attempts to distance himself from a foundation set up by his family for authenticating his artwork, forgeries continued to flood the market. The tipping point for this saga came when Kevin Hearn, a member of the rock band Barenaked Ladies, purchased a painting from an Ontario gallery, only to discover later that it was likely not painted by Morrisseau. His pursuit of the truth led to a broader investigation that attracted police attention.
The Ontario Provincial Police, spurred by Hearn’s case and subsequent documentary "There Are No Fakes," reached out to the Canadian Conservation Institute, asking them to analyze numerous suspected forgeries. Their task was unprecedented, as the institute typically aids museums rather than police investigations. Over two years, they examined 30 paintings attributed to Morrisseau, applying complex forensic techniques.
The institute made significant discoveries, including identifying materials used in the suspected fakes that differed from authenticated Morrisseaus. By extracting minute paint samples, Choquette and her team revealed that the suspected fakes contained a mixture of polyvinyl acetate, styrene, and acrylic, rather than being composed solely of acrylic as in genuine works. Their findings contributed to the police’s case against a network of fraudsters who had created numerous forgeries over the years.
In early 2023, police conducted raids and arrested eight individuals connected to multiple fraud rings accused of producing at least 1,000 counterfeit Morrisseaus. The investigations uncovered systematic forgery operations dating back to 1996, with allegations that individuals within these rings exploited Morrisseau's legacy for profit. Among those charged, David Voss was described as the “architect” of the fraudulent network, while another accused, Gary Lamont, involved Indigenous artists, including Morrisseau's nephew, in producing the forgeries.
As the investigation unfolded, the judiciary responded to these findings. Some of the accused eventually pleaded guilty, and others faced trials. The expertise of the conservation institute not only validated the efforts to restore Morrisseau’s reputation but also underscored the cultural importance of his artwork for Indigenous identity and Canadian heritage.
Responding to the fraud crisis, experts have proposed measures to enhance art authenticity standards, suggesting that art dealers should provide guarantees of authenticity and that a dedicated national body should be established for art fraud investigations. In addition, they emphasize the need for comprehensive databases documenting the authenticity of artworks, to provide critical provenance evidence in the ongoing fight against art fraud in Canada.
The Morrisseau case illustrates the complexities of art fraud and its impact on cultural heritage. As investigations continue, experts acknowledge that fully purging the market of counterfeit works will require significant time and collective effort from various stakeholders.
