We want to draw your attention to a problem that has become very serious for all collectors of Haitian art…forgeries!

We look at Ebay on a regular basis and see many paintings for sale that are obviously fake! These are put on the net by individuals as well as "dealers" with websites, at prices for that are truly ridiculously low. When a painting sells for a price that is too good to be true, it is time to become suspicious. These “fakes” hurt everyone…the legitimate dealers, the artists whose work is devalued, and the collector, who now owns a worthless painting.

Recently we had dinner with a very well-know Haitian artist and he told us about the "Haitian mafia," a group of unscrupulous people in Haiti that are hiring young artists to produce these fakes. Unfortunately, Haiti has not done anything to stop these people and we see no sign of this changing in the near future.

The artist went even further when he saw a forgery of one of his paintings on Ebay. He asked the gallery that was selling the painting to remove it because he didn’t paint it and he didn’t want it sold with his name on it. The gallery never responded to him and the fake painting was sold to an unsuspecting customer.

Unfortunately, the art world has its share of disreputable people and wise buyers need to be careful when contemplating a purchase. When purchasing, know your source.

WE STAND BEHIND EVERY PAINTING THAT WE SELL!