Norval Morrisseau

How a little known government agency helped crack Canada's biggest art fraud thecanadianpressnews.ca

Fakes had been churned out since at least 1996, an investigation found.

The Canadian Conservation Institute played a crucial role in exposing Canada's largest art fraud case involving forged paintings attributed to Norval Morrisseau, the renowned Indigenous artist credited with founding the Woodland School. Using advanced imaging technology, institute staff discovered that some suspected forgeries contained paint-by-numbers style color codes and instructions beneath the surface, including letters like "R" and "LB" and spelled-out directions such as "Medium green." The investigation, which stemmed from a 2005 purchase by Barenaked Ladies keyboardist Kevin Hearn, ultimately removed over 1,000 fake Morrisseaus from the market, though experts estimate thousands more may still be in circulation.

Canada's Indigenous Art Centre has been unable to locate 111 works from its collection of over 5,000 pieces by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists, nearly two years after an internal audit first identified the discrepancy. The collection, valued at approximately C$14.4 million and established in 1965, includes works by renowned artists such as Norval Morrisseau, Christi Belcourt, and Kent Monkman. A federal spokesperson clarified that "unaccounted for" does not mean the works are lost or stolen, but rather that their locations cannot be confirmed through available documentation, with 20 of the missing pieces being reproductions. The centre has since resolved 17 of the originally missing 132 works through locating items in storage and identifying database duplicates, and officials state they are implementing improved collection management practices.

Art Experts Canada Inc. has removed more than 50 counterfeit paintings falsely attributed to Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau from the art market and is preserving them for research and education purposes. The organization's experts authenticate Morrisseau works by examining multiple factors including brushstrokes, paint layering, color relationships, composition, and the artist's distinctive visual language and symbolic motifs, rather than relying on any single identifying feature. The counterfeits will be permanently marked as fake using industrial ink and epoxy to prevent their resale as authentic pieces, though some remain unmarked as potential evidence for ongoing litigation. This effort follows Project Totton, a major 2023 investigation that resulted in charges against eight people and the seizure of over 1,000 works suspected to be part of a fraud ring that may have produced between 4,000 and 6,500 counterfeit pieces worldwide.

Art Experts Canada Inc. has removed over 50 forged Norval Morrisseau paintings from the art market in 2026 through direct purchase and a fakes acquisition program. The effort is part of a years-long investigation to eliminate thousands of forgeries that flooded the market following the renowned Indigenous artist's death in 2007. The retrieved pieces will be kept for research and educational purposes, with each artwork permanently marked as fake to prevent resale as authentic works. This action comes amid ongoing legal cases involving art dealers and allegations that some of Morrisseau's family members were complicit in the fraud scheme.

Art Experts Canada Inc. has removed more than 50 forged Norval Morrisseau paintings from the art market in 2026 through direct purchases and acquisition programs. The Toronto-based authentication firm is part of a years-long effort to eliminate thousands of forgeries that emerged following the artist's death in 2007. The recovered pieces will be retained for research and education, permanently marked to prevent resale as authentic works. This effort comes as part of ongoing legal cases involving art fraud, including the conviction of a dealer who sold counterfeit Morrisseau pieces.

Toronto art authentication firm Art Experts Canada Inc. has removed more than 50 forged paintings falsely attributed to Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau following the largest art fraud investigation in Canadian history. The company estimates that between 4,000 to 6,000 fake Morrisseaus remain in circulation despite police seizing approximately 1,000 counterfeit works as part of a sprawling criminal probe. The confiscated paintings will be permanently marked as fake and preserved for research and educational purposes to help identify additional forgeries in the future. Art experts have identified telltale signs of forgeries including decentered compositions with negative space in the middle, black dry-brush signatures, and visual inconsistencies with Morrisseau's authentic stylistic choices and color palettes.

Jonathan Sommer, CEO of Art Experts Canada Inc., discussed the company's discovery and acquisition of 50 paintings fraudulently attributed to Norval Morrisseau. The Toronto-based art company plans to use these fake works for educational purposes. Sommer's appearance addressed how the authentication process exposed the counterfeits and what will be done with them moving forward.