Mangaweka's Yellow Church Gallery hosts the Fakes and Forgeries exhibition. Photo: RNZ/Jimmy Ellingham
Dozens of artists have submitted their best imitations in the hope of earning a coveted central North Island counterfeiting crown, in a competition inspired by a famous forger.
The biennial Mangaweka Fakes and Forgeries exhibition opens on Saturday and the judges are on Friday finalising the top forger or faker.
The event is nearly 20 years old and is inspired by New Zealand's only convicted art fraudster, Karl Sim, who was born in Managweka.
When RNZ visited the striking Mangaweka Yellow Church Gallery, owner Richard Aslett had burned the midnight oil hanging this year's 81 entries.
At the back of the gallery are works in a range of styles and sizes, including a copy of the red King Charles III portrait, a version of Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night, some Banksy and a rendition of Edvard Munch's The Scream, where a reptile replaces the person.
"In the earlier days it was more exact copies, but the copy with a twist has become the favourite piece that we prefer to receive and it seems to be what the artists do these days.
"It will be a well-known piece, but done with a twist. A famous one that did win a few years ago was Mona Lisa, with Jacinda Ardern - La Jacinda," Aslett said.
There's an open category and an under-16 section, while a schools competition held in a local hall also continues to grow.
Richard Aslett is busy preparing this year's 81 entries. Photo: RNZ/Jimmy Ellingham
Out of the shadow
Graham Christensen was the 2023 champion and he's back this year with two works - one a striking image of a stockman with his dog, painted using a distinctive technique.
"Chiaroscuro is a style. It's based on darkness with the light highlighted. You've got a background of quite dark, in fact almost black, and you bring the topic to the front," he said, describing the work.
His second painting is technically difficult, as it includes a reflection.
"That's an exact copy of a painting that the artist made and his name was Caravaggio. Caravaggio painted in a similar vein, with chiaroscuro type of paintings. I'm presenting that as an exact copy of an artist piece, and the [other painting] is inspired by."
As well as hanging the works and getting the labelling correct, Aslett is leading the judging, which is happening this week ahead of the winner reveal on Saturday, when the Mangaweka Mega festival is in the full swing in the Rangitīkei town.
"There's a little bit of thrashing the argument out because it's me, a Michael and another Michael who do he judging. We usually sit down and work it out," Aslett said.
"If there is a discrepancy at the end I usually make the final decision, but usually we can come to an agreement about what it's going to be."
Christensen will be at the gallery on Saturday to talk to people who come in for a look. He said they were often puzzled until the idea of Fakes and Forgeries was explained to them. Then, they loved it.
The day was one Christensen looked forward to.
"I absolutely enjoy it because of the humour and the lightness. If you're an artist you become fairly obsessed with what you're painting and you take life seriously, but come along to here and you've got to take the absolute lighter side of life.
"It's such a fun event and such an exciting event."
Graham Christensen presents one of his works, below, watched over by Winston Churchill, as drawn by another Fakes and Forgeries entrant. Photo: RNZ/Jimmy Ellingham
Remembering the Foxton Forger
Karl Sim - known for his Charles Goldie forgeries - died 12 years ago, but he attended early Fakes and Forgeries and his story lives on in Aslett's gallery, and sometimes in the competition too.
Although born in Mangaweka, Sim achieve notoriety in Horowhenua and was known as the Foxton Forger.
"Two years ago we had somebody do an actual portrait of Karl Sim, but they'd done it like a cavalier... That was a real nice piece," Aslett said.
"People have done Goldies in his [Sims'] style in the past. His influence is still felt and we have the little display here."
From this weekend, the artworks stay on show until 30 November.
Graham Christensen, left, and Richard Aslett look over one of Graham's two entries. Photo: RNZ/Jimmy Ellingham
Artists price their pieces.
"We do have a cap of $2500 so that the works are affordable. In the past we didn't have a cap on them and some people would put $20,000 on a little A4 drawing," Aslett said.
Christensen works from a converted barn in his Manawatū property and primarily enjoys creating farming or agricultural works.
The 77-year-old began painting later in life.
"I took up art as an option for when I retire, thinking, I can try that and go fishing and learn woodcraft or something else. The art side has absolutely taken over my life - an absolute passion, or more of an obsession."
Visitors this weekend will notice the large "for sale" sign outside the gallery.
Aslett said he originally put the gallery and his house next door on the market together, but might end up selling them separately or even staying on, so he didn't know yet what the future held.
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