Episode description

The late Norval Morrisseau is known as Canada's Picasso. He was the father of the Woodlands style. His work was exhibited at the Pompidou Center in Paris, the National Gallery of Canada, and he was a member of the Order of Canada. Morrisseau is without question one of the most important painters in Canadian history. So why are so-called original Morrisseau paintings selling on eBay for $129? 

The answer is fraud. The market has been flooded with thousands of fake Morrisseau paintings and prints. In March 2023, eight people were charged and arrested in connection with these fakes and are now starting to be convicted. The police investigation started, in part, because of the Jamie Kastner documentary There Are No Fakes.

Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Kevin O’Keefe (Fact Checking), max collins (Production Manager), Jesse Brown (Host and Publisher)

Featured guests: Ryan McMahon and Jamie Kastner

Additional music by Audio Network

Further information:

• There Are No Fakes — TVO
• 8 charged over 1,000 paintings seized in Norval Morrisseau art fraud investigation — CBC
• Man who oversaw massive Norval Morrisseau art forgeries sentenced in Thunder Bay to 5 years in prison — RCI

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