Morrisseau expert testifies late artist’s family ‘integral’ part of art fraud

Norval Morrisseau art expert John Zemanovich testified the late artist’s estate and children participated in and profited from the fraudulent production of Morrisseau works for years.

Zemanovich was called to testify by the defence in the sentencing hearing of Jeff Cowan, 50, who was convicted by a jury in November of selling mimicked Morrisseau works as part of a local art fraud ring.

“The children were an important, integral part of the fraud,” Zemanovich told the court as he described the actions of Morrisseau’s estate who claimed dubious pieces were authentic, when in fact they were fakes.

Cowan along with art authenticator David Paul Bremner, 79, and dealer Jim White, 85, who had partnered with the Morrisseau estate to sell prints, participated in the fraud by knowingly selling works they knew or ought to have known were forged pieces.

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Bremner and White struck deals with the Crown prior to trial for house arrest conditions in exchange for their testimony against Cowan who defended himself without a lawyer. Cowan is represented by Nathan Gorham and Breana Vandebeek for sentencing, who argued the Morrisseau Estate, including CEO Cory Dingle made claims it could influence the value of Morrisseau works as Morrisseau’s family authenticated pieces, driving up their value.

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In a series of 2023 phone call recordings identified by Zemanovich as Dingle on one end, Dingle can be heard saying Morrisseau pieces should be worth 10 times what they are on the market. Dingle referred to a vault of 800 unseen and beloved Morrisseau works, some unfinished worth $40,000 to $50,000 a piece. He said the estate was the authority in authentication of Morrisseau art as it combatted claims of forgeries in the market. In one recording with a prospective buyer, Dingle can be heard selling a piece for $75,000, telling the buyer at the $75,000 price, he would be able increase the value of the painting in the future. Dingle is heard telling the buyer the estate vouching for the authenticity of a piece was just as good as a signature.

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Morrisseau, who is widely considered the Picasso of the North and the grandfather of contemporary Indigenous art in Canada, died in 2007. Following his death the market became flooded with thousands of forged pieces mimicking his works. The defence argued Morrisseau’s family was complicit in the fraud.

Cowan’s sentencing hearing, which got underway in February, is scheduled to continue in September.