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David Voss
David Voss
David Voss
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David Voss is a Canadian art forger of Indigenous artworks, in particular those of the artist Norval Morrisseau, of the Ojibway Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation who has been deceased since 2007.[1][2] Voss has forged documents as a part of a fraud ring that was based in Thunder Bay, Ontario.[1]

Voss and a ring of eight others were arrested in 2023 for forging and selling works allegedly by Morrisseau for over a decade. Voss and his team worked in an assembly to produce forgeries using a "paint-by-numbers" process to create fake paintings.[1] The forgeries were detected when forensic analysts used infrared photographic processes to discover paint-by-number-like pencil markings on the underdrawings beneath the painted surfaces.[3]

Voss and his team forged thousands of artworks by Morrisseau. The forgeries resulted in $100 million Canadian dollars of losses to the artist's estate.[2]

ARTnews reported that "Voss oversaw the production of thousands of artworks falsely attributed to Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau." 500 of these forgeries have been seized by law enforcement as of June 2024.[4]

Voss, who was 52 years of age at the sentencing,[5] pleaded guilty to the art fraud ring charges.[3] The sentencing judge declared the forgery ring as the "largest art fraud in history" in Canada.[6][7] Artforum magazine called the operation the "world's biggest art fraud."[1] Voss, who was described as the "principal architect" of the forgery ring, was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the forgeries. Gary Lamont, who has been described as "the ringleader of the operation"[5] also received a five year sentence, and six others were charged for the crime in 2023.[8] In addition to Voss and Lamont, Benjamin Paul Morrisseau, who is a nephew of the artist Norval Morrisseau, participated in reparation activities with tribal elders.[9] Also charged were James White of Essa Township and David P. Bremner of Locust Hill and Jeffrey Gordon Cowan of Niagara-on-the-Lake.[5][1]

The 2019 documentary film There Are No Fakes, was inspired by the forgeries of Norvall Morrisseau's art works.[10]

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David Voss

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David Voss is a Canadian art forger known for orchestrating one of the largest art fraud operations in Canadian history, in which he produced and distributed thousands of counterfeit paintings attributed to the renowned Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau. Operating primarily from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Voss was described as the central figure or kingpin in a multi-year scheme that caused significant financial losses to Morrisseau's estate and profound cultural harm through the appropriation of Indigenous artistic and spiritual identity. Born around 1972, Voss ran the forgery ring from 1996 to 2019, employing an assembly-line process with paint-by-numbers-style templates to create over 1,600 fake Morrisseau works, more than 1,000 of which were later seized by authorities. The operation formed part of a broader fraud epidemic that flooded the market with an estimated 4,500 to 6,000 counterfeit Morrisseau paintings overall, devaluing authentic works and distorting the artist's legacy. The scheme has been characterized as one of the most damaging art frauds in Canada's history, with estate losses exceeding $100 million and irreparable damage to Morrisseau's cultural and spiritual contributions. In June 2024, Voss pleaded guilty to one count of forgery and one count of uttering forged documents, and in September 2024 he was sentenced to five years in prison in the Ontario Court of Justice in Thunder Bay. The presiding judge highlighted the crime's severity beyond mere financial fraud, noting its role in tarnishing Morrisseau's spirituality and appropriating Indigenous cultural identity.

Early life

Birth and background

David John Voss was born around 1972. Public sources provide no further details on his birthplace, family, or early life prior to his involvement in art forgery. He resided in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where his forgery operations were based.

Career

David Voss worked as a housepainter prior to leading a large-scale art forgery operation in Thunder Bay, Ontario. From 1996 to 2019, Voss orchestrated the production and distribution of between 1,500 and 2,000 counterfeit paintings attributed to Norval Morrisseau, using an assembly-line process with paint-by-numbers-style templates. He was described as a central figure or kingpin in the scheme. No other professional activities or legitimate careers are documented for Voss beyond this prior occupation and his criminal involvement.

Legacy

David Voss's involvement in the Norval Morrisseau forgery ring has left a significant negative legacy. The scheme contributed to one of the largest art fraud operations in Canadian history, flooding the market with thousands of counterfeit paintings, devaluing authentic works by Morrisseau, and causing estimated losses exceeding $100 million to his estate. It has also been recognized for inflicting profound cultural harm through the appropriation and distortion of Anishinaabe artistic and spiritual identity. The presiding judge at Voss's sentencing emphasized the crime's severity in tarnishing Morrisseau's spirituality and Indigenous cultural contributions.
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