Art
US Seeks Forfeiture of Artworks and Diamonds from Indicted Dealer with Alleged Hezbollah Connections
|
Federal prosecutors have filed documents seeking the forfeiture of additional artworks, more than 30 diamonds, and $2 million in the ongoing case against art collector Nazem Said Ahmad.
US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Pace and US Attorney Claire S. Kedeshian filed a three-page Bill of Particulars for the forfeiture of a JP Morgan Chase bank account with a balance of more than $2 million, two artworks by Dan McCarthy, three paintings and two sculptures by Alex Brewer (also known as Hense), four sculptures by Mark Whalen, a sculpture by Joankim Ojanen, a 2.4-carat “green diamond cushion modified brilliant cut ring,” and 34 other diamonds.
The items, which would only be subject to forfeiture if Said Ahmad were convicted, were all owned by companies mentioned in the nine-count indictment unsealed earlier this year in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The document also includes various allegations against Said Ahmad, accusing him of conspiring to defraud the United States and other governments, evading customs laws, and money laundering for the benefit of Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah.
Ahmad has been sanctioned by the US government since 2019 for his role as a major financial donor to Hezbollah through money laundering activities, as well as for personally providing funds to the organization’s secretary-general. He was barred from conducting business—such as collecting and selling “high-value art,” real estate, and diamonds—with US entities and persons.
The indictment further alleged that Ahmad and his associates obtained artwork worth more than $1.2 million from the US after he was sanctioned in 2019, but noted that amount did not account for the tax evasion from foreign governments. By comparison, the indictment said the total weight and value of the diamonds, which had allegedly passed through Ahmad’s businesses after the sanctions had been imposed in 2019, were graded at approximately 1,546 carats and were worth more than $91 million.
Prior to the Bill of Particulars filing on August 16, the US government had already already sought the forfeiture of more than 450 diamonds and more than 100 pieces of artwork.
The indictment did not identify the names of artists and galleries involved, only referring to them by sales amounts and location, such as “Chicago Art Gallery-1.” However, three of the works in the indictment had been posted to Ahmad’s Instagram account, where he frequently published images of artists, galleries, and exhibitions to his 172,000 followers. Ahmad previously identified those paintings as works by Nicasio Fernandez and Luke Agada. The Instagram account is no longer online.
Using Google reverse image search on artworks attached to the indictment, several of the works appear to be artists David Salle, Terron Cooper Sorrells, Stickmonger, and UFO907; per the indictment, these pieces were paid for or acquired through other names, entities, or partial payments to obscure they were connected to Ahmad.





Art
Fast Rising British Artist Danny Fox on the Five Artists Inspiring Him Right Now – Artsy
We use cookies and data to
- Deliver and maintain Google services
- Track outages and protect against spam, fraud, and abuse
- Measure audience engagement and site statistics to understand how our services are used and enhance the quality of those services
If you choose to “Accept all,” we will also use cookies and data to
- Develop and improve new services
- Deliver and measure the effectiveness of ads
- Show personalized content, depending on your settings
- Show personalized ads, depending on your settings
Non-personalized content is influenced by things like the content you’re currently viewing, activity in your active Search session, and your location. Non-personalized ads are influenced by the content you’re currently viewing and your general location. Personalized content and ads can also include more relevant results, recommendations, and tailored ads based on past activity from this browser, like previous Google searches. We also use cookies and data to tailor the experience to be age-appropriate, if relevant.
Select “More options” to see additional information, including details about managing your privacy settings. You can also visit g.co/privacytools at any time.
Art
American anxiety, Georgian fireworks and a Black British pioneer – the week in art – The Guardian
We use cookies and data to
- Deliver and maintain Google services
- Track outages and protect against spam, fraud, and abuse
- Measure audience engagement and site statistics to understand how our services are used and enhance the quality of those services
If you choose to “Accept all,” we will also use cookies and data to
- Develop and improve new services
- Deliver and measure the effectiveness of ads
- Show personalized content, depending on your settings
- Show personalized ads, depending on your settings
Non-personalized content is influenced by things like the content you’re currently viewing, activity in your active Search session, and your location. Non-personalized ads are influenced by the content you’re currently viewing and your general location. Personalized content and ads can also include more relevant results, recommendations, and tailored ads based on past activity from this browser, like previous Google searches. We also use cookies and data to tailor the experience to be age-appropriate, if relevant.
Select “More options” to see additional information, including details about managing your privacy settings. You can also visit g.co/privacytools at any time.
Art
Pokemon partners with Van Gogh Museum for adorable TCG art collab
|
In what is perhaps one of my favourite Pokemon collaborations so far, The Pokemon Company International has partnered with the Van Gogh Museum to host a variety of themed activities, launch some adorable merchandise, and release some fantastic promotional cards.
“To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Van Gogh Museum, Pokemon and the Van Gogh Museum have launched an official collaboration aimed at introducing new audiences to the work of Vincent van Gogh,” the press release reads.
It continues, “both Vincent van Gogh’s work and Pokémon have a special connection with Japanese art and culture. Japanese prints had a profound impact on Vincent’s art and on his world view.” Vincent van Gogh held Japanese art in high regard, and the aim of this collaboration is to introduce more people to the life and artwork of Gogh in an interesting and refreshing way.
The Van Gogh Museum will be hosting various Van Gogh x Pokemon-themed activities from September 28 to January 7, if you happen to be local to the museum, which is based in Amsterdam. These will include art presentations, learning material, and classes on how to draw Pikachu!
What is arguably the highlight for Pokemon and Vincent van Gogh fans alike, however, is the merchandise and card artwork that has been revealed. There’s a Pikachu plush in the likeness of Van Gogh, a tote bag adorned with ‘Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat’, and the most adorable Snorlax ‘The Bedroom’-inspired jigsaw puzzle.


On top of that, we can’t neglect the Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat promotional card for Pokemon’s Trading Card Game, either. This was the first I saw of the collaboration, and it immediately grabbed my attention. Pikachu whisked away into one of Van Gogh’s artworks… on a Pokemon card? Say less.
This promotional card will be available to anyone attending the exhibit at the Van Gogh Museum, and will be sent out with eligible orders from the Pokemon Center website. I didn’t need an excuse to order more Pokemon merch, but now I have the perfect reason to do so.
Van Gogh inspired artwork of Sunflora, Eevee, and Smeargle has also appeared online and will be shown at the Van Gogh Museum, though it appears that these will not be available as promotional cards like Pikachu.
What do you think of the Pokemon x Van Gogh Museum collab? Will you be heading to the museum, or sitting back at home with Pikachu and his grey felt hat? Let us know.





-
Economy23 hours ago
Fed’s Goolsbee Says Traditional Economic View May Cause Overshoot
-
Business22 hours ago
‘We are not there yet’: Metrolinx refuses to give end date for long-overdue Eglinton Crosstown LRT
-
Economy22 hours ago
German Economy to Shrink 0.6% in 2023 Before Wages Drive Rebound
-
Art13 hours ago
Details of the Pokémon/Van Gogh art museum crossover are just as adorable as we’d hoped【Pics】
-
News15 hours ago
Canadian immigration consultant’s plan to open India office paused due to political turmoil
-
Business21 hours ago
Alberta sets Canadian record for annual net interprovincial population growth: StatCan
-
News20 hours ago
What are Canada’s most popular baby names?
-
Art16 hours ago
Scalpers Are Ruining A Pokémon Art Exhibit