Our ethical commitment
Dignity is not a feature. It is the whole of the work.
We preserve a person with honesty and consent — and we hold clear lines we will not cross.
We preserve. We never pretend to resurrect.
An Encore portrait is a faithful likeness drawn from what someone genuinely left behind — their voice, their words, their stories. We do not claim to bring anyone back, and we will not present the work as anything other than what it is: a commemoration, made with care.
Consent comes first.
We accept a commission only from those with the standing to give it — the family or estate — and, wherever possible, with the documented wishes of the person being preserved. For living subjects who take part, participation is theirs to direct.
Truth over invention.
The portrait speaks from real source material. Where the record is thin, we say so plainly rather than fabricate opinions or memories. We will decline to put words in a person’s mouth that they never held.
The family is in control.
You own the work and decide how and with whom it is shared. You may pause, restrict, or retire a portrait at your discretion. Your materials are never repurposed.
Care for the living.
Grief is not a market to be optimized. We move at the family’s pace, set honest expectations, and consider the emotional wellbeing of those who will interact with the portrait — especially children — at every step.
Lines we will not cross.
- We do not create a portrait without the consent of the family or estate.
- We do not fabricate views, memories, or statements the person never expressed.
- We do not sell, share, or train external systems on your family’s materials.
- We do not publish or identify a commission without explicit, written consent.
- We do not take on a commission we cannot deliver with dignity.