Exploring 3 forms of movement:
Dance. Fencing. Judo.
Flow. Precision. Power.
I’m chasing that split second where the body becomes pure energy.
From Olympian to artist still obsessed with movement.
Originals & limited editions available:
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Training camp in 1988 looked a little different.
We were based by the Dead Sea the lowest place on earth in the build-up to the European Championships, where I went on to place third .
Part of the “recovery” routine was covering ourselves head to toe in black mineral mud, standing in the sun.
What a truly fantastic 2026 Winter Olympics.
For almost 17 days I was on the edge of my seat and I’m now officially an Olympic nerd. The skill, courage and composure of those Olympians was simply unbelievable.
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Woke up on competition day at the 1984 Summer Olympics not knowing my life was about to change forever.
Calm. Prepared. Ready.
10,000 hours behind me.
First up for a remarkable British team set the benchmark.
Bronze medal. Momentum built.
Unforgettable pride.
Landed in Los Angeles for the 1984 Summer Olympics and straight away there he was — Sam the Olympic Eagle — there to welcome us.
That’s when it hit me… this wasn’t just another tournament. This was the Olympic Games.
A real hit from the archives.
©️Neil Eckersley OLY
Quarter-final at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
I remember staring at my next opponent as he watched my previous fight. In judo, the contest often starts before you step on the mat.
Eye contact. Body language Silence.
A quiet way of playing the psychological game letting him know I was ready
New York, to that tall skyline I come, flyin’ in from London to your door
New York, lookin’ down on Central Park
Where they say you should not wander after dark
The city that never sleeps fuels the dream that never stops.
#NewYorkStateOfMind
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©️Neil Eckersley OLY
Transitioning from Olympian Judoka to Olympian Artist has been an incredible journey. From competing on the world’s biggest stages to now exhibiting at the Olympic Games through my artwork.
17.02.2026 13:11 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Two works, one story: celebrating the Olympic Games’ return to Los Angeles in 2028.
A sculpture inspired by the LA skyline layers of colour, texture, and energy set against the Colosseum, linking the Games’ past and present.
An abstract painting captures LA itself: sunshine, ocean waves.
More photos from the archives…
First photo taken on the London Underground heading to Heathrow to join Team GB for LA 1984. A journey that changed my life.
Fishing trip in LA… smiles to seasickness fast — ask Neil Adams about the Elvis boat story!
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©️Neil Eckersley OLY
Inspired by Manhattanhenge — when the sun aligns with the NYC street grid and floods the city with light.
This work explores the clash between nature and urban structure… energy, rhythm and movement.
What does it make you feel?
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©️ Neil Eckersley OLY
#ContemporaryArt
Only a few days to go until the Winter Olympic Games begin in Milano–Cortina, Italy.
As the world comes together to celebrate sport at its highest level, we are reminded of the Olympic values that unite us all: Excellence, Respect and Friendship.
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1983, just turned 18, first ever visit to Japan . Self funded we stayed a full month to get our money’s worth. Every day we trained in a different dojo two grueling sessions daily. Sunday morning run round the Imperial Palace earned a rare day off. Brutal even for a lightweight nobody took prisoners
02.02.2026 12:46 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Voices That Will Not Be Drowned
Inspired by our recent visit to Aldeburgh beach, this mixed-media work combines drawing and digital layering, responding to Maggi Hambling’s The Scallop. Fractured textures echo erosion, time and the changing Suffolk coastline.
#MixedMediaArt
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11 Jan 1987 — Matsutaro Shoriki Cup, Tokyo 🇯🇵
Only three on the podium because I had to fight Eddie Lyddy for bronze — an Olympic bronze medallist from LA ’84.
Proud to be the first ever lightweight to medal in Japan.
Respect. Experience. Memories.
Happy memories indeed. Competing in Potsdam, East Germany, and narrowly losing the final. Passing through Checkpoint Charlie on 23 March 1986 crossing into what was once behind the Berlin Wall. Sport, history, perspective.
Meeting one of my heroes, Yury Sokolov.
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CORE
Inspired by a concrete core sample from the bedrock beneath New York City the unseen foundation that supports its iconic skyline.
A sculptural study of permanence, resilience, and what everything is built on.
#ContemporarySculpture #ArtCollectors #NYCArt #ArchitectureInspired #CollectibleArt
Final session with the brilliant students in Brooklyn, New York what an amazing experience. Thank you for your enthusiasm and creativity. Can’t wait to see your future work.
#TheArtofTheOlympians #OlympicArtist #ArtEducation
©️ Neil Eckersley OLY
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From dyslexia to the Olympic podium
Two-time Olympian & artist Neil Eckersley shares his inspiring journey in Judoka in a Parka.
Beautifully illustrated by Anita Chamberlain
Order here: www.blurb.co.uk/bookstore/in...
#JudokainaParka #Dyslexia #Olympian #JudoFamily #Olympics
Looks like a cold one
New York wrapped in winter frozen streets, icy reflections and that unmistakable city energy cutting through the chill.
#NewYork #WinterInTheCity #ColdOne #UrbanArt #ContemporaryArt CityscapeArt AbstractArt ArtInspired WinterVibes OlyArt
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©️Neil Eckersley OLY
Honoured to be part of the Olympian Artists Programme.
An inspiring initiative by the Olympic Museum bringing Olympians and Paralympians together through creativity beyond the field of play.
Exciting news coming soon.
youtu.be/iQL51YLAFkI?...
Right place. Right time.
New York. The Empire State Building.
That moment sparked this new piece — New York New York New York.
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Exciting news coming soon 👀
New developments connected to the artwork I was commissioned to create by the IOC for the Artist-in-Residence programme, featured at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
Details soon 🎨
www.olympics.com/museum/explo...
#OlympicArtist #IOC #Beijing2022
©️ Neil Eckersley OLY
Through The Art of the Olympians, Olympians and Paralympians are inspiring over 500 students in Brooklyn. Every finished piece starts here.
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#TheArtofTheOlympians #OlympicArtist #Olympians #Paralympians #ArtEducation #InspiringYoungMinds
©️Neil Eckersley OLY
It’s a mad, mad world we’re living in
full of noise, fear and division.
Pause.
Breathe.
Don’t walk the road of despair.
We chose leaders for hope, not hate.
We’re still human
same air, same sun, same grief.
In the end,
what matters isn’t power,
but how we behaved.
When interiors and great art come together, that’s when the real magic happens. Art has the power to transform a space to add emotion, energy, and meaning beyond the walls that hold it.
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#InteriorInspiration #ArtInInteriors #ContemporaryArt #AbstractArt
©️ Neil Eckersley OLY
When interiors and great art come together, that’s when the real magic happens.
Art has the power to transform a space to add emotion, energy, and meaning beyond the walls that hold it.
www.olyart.co.uk
#InteriorInspiration #ArtInInteriors #ContemporaryArt #AbstractArt
Working With the Wild
Nature doesn’t shout.
It shows in broken branches, cracked ground,
and beauty that survives despite the damage.
It can be cruel,
but within that cruelty lies elegance,
resilience, and balance.
When we fight nature,
we fight ourselves.
LA84 is where my dream came true.
When I first stepped onto the tatami, I was just a boy with a dream.
When I stepped off it, an Olympic medallist, my life had changed beyond belief.
That moment didn’t just shape my sporting career it shaped who I became.
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#LA28
