An epidemic of sculpture knock-offs is plaguing the art world, and just like the sale and production of counterfeit designer handbags and shoes, law enforcement is having a difficult time keeping up.
Statues, wildlife figures and, in one case, a copy of Jasper Johns’ 1960 metallic collage “Flag,” are turning up for sale in stores, garden centers and other outlets without the approval of the artists who originally created them, and sometimes at top-end prices.
American sculptors say they are losing income and spending tens of thousands of dollars in legal expenses trying to track down and stop the knock-offs, often with little success. Many of the forgeries come from foundries in Asia, while advances in digital scanning and photography are making copycat sculptures even easier to create.
Art crime police say it is difficult to estimate the scale of the trade in fakes.
“There is a significant problem of knock-offs in all areas of the art world,” Robert K. Wittman, retired founder of the FBI’s Art Crime Team, told Reuters.
He cited an Interpol statistic of $ 6 billion in annual art crimes around the world, of which the majority are forgeries. Unauthorized sculpture castings are classified by the FBI and Interpol as forgeries.
Eli Hopkins, business manager for his father, Colorado-based wildlife sculptor Mark Hopkins, said he found fiberglass copies of his father’s bronzes in a Hobby Lobby arts and crafts store selling for one-tenth the price of the originals.
“I used to get catalogs of decorations just to look for copycats, but I just stopped after a while,” Hopkins told Reuters. “I got too stressed out finding things and then finding out that I couldn’t do anything to stop it.”
Over the years, he and his father, whose work has been collected by McDonnell Douglas Corp. and former President Bill Clinton, among others, have spent more than $ 75,000 in legal expenses, hiring lawyers to write cease-and-desist letters, occasionally going to court and only sometimes meeting with success.
“You try to get the judge to award legal fees but that doesn’t always happen,” he said. The real culprits, Hopkins said, are foundries in China and Thailand that produce knock-offs and who appear to be outside the reach of the law.
The same problem happened to Jane Dedecker, a sculptor in Loveland, Colorado, whose works have been collected by television hostess Kathie Lee Gifford and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, among others.
She first discovered unauthorized reproductions of her work 10 years ago at a garden store. One of the sculptures looked like hers and bore her signature but it wasn’t made by Dedecker and the price ($ 6,000) was less than one-third of the $ 21,000 she charged for the original version.
Dedecker and her business managers say they have identified approximately 30 of her sculptures that have been reproduced by unknown others.
On occasion, a culprit is found. In November, Brian Ramnarine, owner of the Empire Bronze Art Foundry in Long Island, New York, was charged with one count of wire fraud after he attempted to sell both privately and through an international auctioneer an unauthorized copy of Johns’ 1960 metallic collage “Flag” for $ 11 million.
The foundry was known to Johns, who, in 1990, had brought a mold for the sculpture to the foundry in order to create a wax cast of the piece, according to the US Attorney’s office in Manhattan.
Ramnarine produced the wax cast for Johns but is accused of keeping the original mold and later using it to manufacture the knock-off. Ramnarine pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
Many foundries today do not need a mold or a casting to recreate sculptures. Photographs of art works can be scanned into computers and turned into three-dimensional models from which new molds are created.
“With the advances in 3D scanning and other digital technologies, I suspect it is easier than ever to duplicate work and create copies,” DeWitt Godfrey, professor of art at Colgate University and an authority on unethical castings, told Reuters.
It was through photographs used to make digital files that Dedecker’s and Hopkins’ work was appropriated. Dedecker recently went public with the experience on website bronzecopyright.com.
“I get calls all the time from sculptors, asking me, ‘What do I do?’ They figure that since it happened to me, I’ve figured out some way of fighting back, but I never know what to tell them,” she said. “Personally, I just try not to think about it.”
Dedecker advises artists to copyright all their work, which will not stop people from making and selling knock-offs but may lead, if a lawsuit ever gets to court and results in a win for the artist, to recovering attorneys’ fees.
Sculpture knock-offs prove plague of art world
Sculpture knock-offs prove plague of art world
From historic desert landscapes to sound stages: AlUla’s bid to become the region’s film capital
DUBAI: AlUla is positioning itself as the center of cinema for the MENA region, turning its dramatic desert landscapes, heritage sites and newly built studio infrastructure into jobs, tourism and long‑term economic opportunity.
In a wide‑ranging interview, Zaid Shaker, executive director of Film AlUla, and Philip J. Jones, chief tourism officer for the Royal Commission for AlUla, laid out an ambitious plan to train local talent, attract a diverse slate of productions and use film as a catalyst for year‑round tourism.
“We are building something that is both cultural and economic,” said Shaker. “Film AlUla is not just about hosting productions. It’s about creating an entire ecosystem where local people can come into sustained careers. We invested heavily in facilities and training because we want AlUla to be a place where filmmakers can find everything they need — technical skill, production infrastructure and a landscape that offers limitless variety. When a director sees a location and says, ‘I can shoot five different looks in 20 minutes,’ that changes the calculus for choosing a destination.”
At the core of the strategy are state‑of‑the‑art studios operated in partnership with the MBS Group, which comprises Manhattan Beach Studios — home to James Cameron’s “Avatar” sequels. “We have created the infrastructure to compete regionally and internationally,” said Jones. “Combine those studios with AlUla’s natural settings and you get a proposition that’s extremely attractive to producers; controlled environment and unmatched exterior vistas within a short drive. That versatility is a real selling point. We’re not a one‑note destination.”
The slate’s flagship project, the romantic comedy “Chasing Red,” was chosen deliberately to showcase that range. “After a number of war films and heavy dramas shot here, we wanted a rom‑com to demonstrate the breadth of what AlUla offers,” said Shaker. “‘Chasing Red’ uses both our studio resources and multiple on‑location settings. It’s a story that could have been shot anywhere — but by choosing AlUla we’re showing how a comical, intimate genre can also be elevated by our horizons, our textures, our light.
“This film is also our first under a broader slate contract — so it’s a proof point. If ‘Chasing Red’ succeeds, it opens the door for very different kinds of storytelling to come here.”
Training and workforce development are central pillars of the program. Film AlUla has engaged more than 180 young Saudis in training since the start of the year, with 50 already slated to join ongoing productions. “We’re building from the bottom up,” said Shaker. “We start with production assistant training because that’s often how careers begin. From there we provide camera, lighting, rigging and data-wrangling instruction, and we’ve even launched soft‑skill offerings like film appreciation— courses that teach critique, composition and the difference between art cinema and commercial cinema. That combination of technical and intellectual training changes behavior and opens up real career pathways.”
Jones emphasized the practical benefits of a trained local workforce. “One of the smartest strategies for attracting productions is cost efficiency,” he said. “If a production can hire local, trained production assistants and extras instead of flying in scores of entry‑level staff, that’s a major saving. It’s a competitive advantage. We’ve already seen results: AlUla hosted 85 productions this year, well above our initial target. That momentum is what we now aim to convert into long‑term growth.”
Gender inclusion has been a standout outcome. “Female participation in our training programs is north of 55 percent,” said Shaker. “That’s huge. It’s not only socially transformative, giving young Saudi women opportunities in an industry that’s historically male-dominated, but it’s also shaping the industry culture here. Women are showing up, learning, and stepping into roles on set.”
Looking to 2026, their targets are aggressive; convert the production pipeline into five to six feature films and exceed 100 total productions across film, commercials and other projects. “We want private-sector partners to invest in more sound stages so multiple productions can run concurrently,” said Jones. “That’s how you become a regional hub.”
The tourism case is both immediate and aspirational. “In the short term, productions bring crews who fill hotels, eat in restaurants and hire local tradespeople,” said Shaker. “In the long term, films act as postcards — cinematic invitations that make people want to experience a place in person.”
Jones echoed that vision: “A successful film industry here doesn’t just create jobs; it broadcasts AlUla’s beauty and builds global awareness. That multiplies the tourism impact.”
As “Chasing Red” moves into production, Shaker and Jones believe AlUla can move from an emerging production destination to the region’s filmmaking epicenter. “We’re planting seeds for a cultural sector that will bear economic fruit for decades,” said Shaker. “If we get the talent, the infrastructure and the stories right, the world will come to AlUla to film. And to visit.”
