Host Adrian Stimson, a painter from the Siksika Nation, tells the unfolding story of legendary Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau and how criminal fraudsters copied his work in a scheme that became what is believed to be the largest art fraud in the world. A new six-part series from CBC and ABC Australia.
Over the course of this six-part series, Adrian travels from Canada to Australia to learn about Indigenous artist and Anmatyerre man from the Northern Territory, Clifford Possum. He finds eerie similarities between Possum’s experiences and Norval’s. Possum had once walked into a gallery and been surrounded by paintings with his signature on them…all of which were forgeries.
Throughout this series, artist Adrian explores how indigenous art is valued, who profits from this art, the impact forgeries have on indigenous people and their culture, and how all of this has impacted Norval Morisseau’s legacy.