We recently revealed our plans to partner with the Norval Morrisseau Estate to detect forgeries of the artist's work. Our robots are reproducing select Morrisseau paintings, and the estate’s AI model, Norval AI, is comparing these to authentic pieces, learning to identify discrepancies and find deviations that indicate forgery.
But something even more exciting is brewing: This week, our robots began reproducing five carefully selected Morrisseau works that the estate will make available for purchase. The decision to launch these reproductions publicly follows a year of testing and fine-tuning to perfect the replicas to a point where we are ready to unveil them.
For each, we will produce one “matrix” painting—a large-format, master copy collector’s edition—and a limited run of smaller versions. The smaller versions will be painted on demand after the estate gauges interest among buyers.
The five paintings to be reproduced are currently in gallery or museum collections, so we are working with high-resolution photos. We plan to donate one painting from each collection to Indigenous communities or local galleries.
Our AI-powered painting robot—nicknamed “Domo” by the estate—has already proven its ability to produce lifelike, textured paintings that preserve the vivid colours and surface textures that give Morrisseau’s work its rich emotional and spiritual impact.
“You see the texture, you see the brushstroke lines,” says Cory Dingle, the estate’s executive director. “These paintings look alive to us.”
Profits from the sale of limited-edition reproductions will be split between Acrylic Robotics and the estate to fund further AI development and legacy restoration efforts.
Uncharted territory
Over the longer term, we hope to investigate whether—with with the support of Norval AI—our robots may be able to complete some of Morrisseau’s many unfinished works and allow his full creative vision to be shared with the world.
We want to explore the opportunity to continue his legacy with the aid of technology” says Dingle.
Dingle and Acrylic have also discussed sending Acrylic’s robots into Indigenous communities so residents can see the reproductions being painted in real time and glean a sense of Morrisseau’s techniques.
The Morrisseau estate also sees commercial opportunity in selling authenticated reproductions to collectors, institutions and even film production companies that need high-quality stand-ins for originals. Acrylic is building the e-commerce platform for these ventures so the estate can focus on its cultural and artistic goals.
Ultimately, the partnership aims to protect Morrisseau’s legacy, promote the ethical use of AI in art, and empower Indigenous communities to reclaim and share their artistic heritage.
“What’s exciting here, even beyond the technology, is the opportunity to modernize the law around art, push the boundaries of what has been possible, make art history, and reclaim a legacy,” says Chloë Ryan, Acrylic Robotics’ co-founder and CEO.
Beyond the estate, this work has the potential to benefit other artists and communities by creating more accessible, ethically produced, high-quality reproductions of important works. These could be distributed to schools, cultural centres or museums that otherwise could not afford to display original works, supporting education, cultural pride and artistic legacy.
