Unique Norval Morrisseau Art Expertise

My name is Ritchie Sinclair. I’ve been involved in the art world for most of my life. My passion for art began at a very young age. Over the years I developed both as an artist and also as an expert in Norval Morrisseau’s art.

Sinclair and Morrisseau in 1997

Morrisseau was not only my mentor and teacher, he was also a close friend and confidant. Beginning in 1979 we worked together at the Thunderbird School, as detailed in a 1994 artist’s statement where he acknowledges my apprenticeship and authority to teach. I was also initiated in a public Beardance ceremony held by Morrisseau in 1997, which was a moment of great respect and honour for me.

Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of attending exhibitions and ceremonies with Morrisseau, including the opening of the 2006 “Shaman Artist” exhibition at the National Gallery in Ottawa. I also operate several important Morrisseau websites, including Morrisseau.com, NorvalMorrisseauLegal.com, and the premier Morrisseau Facebook and YouTube profiles.

Ritchie Sinclair on CTV National | 2014

One of my proudest achievements was in publicly identifying 1018 fake Morrisseau paintings in 2008, when the idea of doing so wasn’t popular. I have represented myself in multiple lawsuits defending Morrisseau’s art, and was able to win the first victory that identified an alleged Morrisseau painting as a fake. I have also verified and authenticated Morrisseau art for some of Canada’s leading galleries.

As a public speaker and teacher, I’ve had the privilege of teaching thousands of students about Morrisseau and Woodland School art. I’ve also enjoyed direct relationships with many owners of galleries that were involved with Morrisseau and his art, including Jack Pollock, Albert Volpe, Ilona Nagy, Don Robinson, Joe McLeod, Bryant Ross, and many others.

I am neither a collector nor a retailer of Morrisseau’s art. I remain fully independent and in good standing with major players in the Morrisseau art world, including the Morrisseau Estate. I am honored that other experts turn to me for guidance, and I strive to maintain the gold standard when it comes to Morrisseau art authenticity. Above all, I am dedicated to preserving Morrisseau’s legacy and standing up for his art, even when it is tough to do so.

“The defendant was referred to by counsel in their submissions both as Ritchie Sinclair and Stardreamer. The defendant describes himself as the “artistic apprentice” of Norval Morrisseau. Consistent with the allusion to which I have already referred, the defendant expresses a concern that: “Many of the works that are attributed to Norval Morrisseau however, are in fact counterfeit, and have been produced solely for the purposes of capitalizing off of Norval Morrisseau’s fame and market value”. It seems, from the record, that the defendant has made it his personal concern to identify, uncover, make known and even publicize works said to be those of Norval Morrisseau which he believes are false. In his affidavit, he says: I have no interest in identifying counterfeit Morrisseau paintings other than to perform a public service and to assist in protecting the legacy of one of Canada’s foremost artists.”

Lederer J.