What a night! A big thank you to Adam and his amazing team at the French, Midland Hotel Manchester. Incredible food, fantastic atmosphere, and outstanding hospitality.
Adam Reid at The French
Manchester “ever evolving city”
A city shaped by industry, energy and constant change.
From its industrial past to the cranes shaping the skyline today, Manchester never stands still.
#Manchester #AbstractArt #UrbanArt #ContemporaryArt
Work created by Neil Eckersley
Www.olyart.co.uk
Manchester "Hive of Creativity".
A city powered by ideas, energy and people who dare to create.
Like a hive, every individual contribution adds to something bigger music, art, industry and culture all buzzing together.
This piece is a celebration of that spirit.
Www.olyart.co.uk
What artists do all day thinking, observing, absorbing.
Just taking a quiet break in the city of my youth.
Www.olyart.co.uk
©️Neil Eckersley OLY
H.O.P.E
This body of work has appeared in some unusual places Lancaster Priory, beneath a motorway bridge, inside a designer boutique, and even an abandoned hospital.
Different spaces. Different people.
The same question
Can light still exist in the middle of chaos
#HOPE #Art
H.O.P.E
This body of work has appeared in some unusual places Lancaster Priory, beneath a motorway bridge, inside a designer boutique, and even an abandoned hospital.
Different spaces. Different people.
The same question
Can light still exist in the middle of chaos
#HOPE #Art
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.
CORE by Neil Eckersley OLY
Www.olyart.co.uk
©️Neil Eckersley OLY
We sit at a distance, watching through a television screen.
Scenes unfold that feel so far away, almost unreal.
Is this our new reality?
Is this how it’s meant to play out?
Surely we are better than this.
Surely humanity is capable of more than simply watching from afar.
Judoka in a Parka my story told as a children’s book. From struggling with dyslexia to becoming a double Olympian Olympic medallist.
We have self-published but are looking for a publisher to help take it further and make it more affordable so it can reach a wider audience.
Bring back happy memories LA84 Olympics
The Chaos of a Manufactured War explores, through poetry and illustration, the psychological and human impact of war an attempt by artists to reflect on and make sense of its consequences.
©️Chamberlain/Eckersley
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:
www.olyart.co.uk
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.
Www.olyart.co.uk
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
Www.olyart.co.uk
©️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.
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!
Www.olyart.co.uk
©️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?
www.olyart.co.uk
©️ 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.
Www.olyart.co.uk
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
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
Www.olyart.co.uk
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.
Www.olyart.co.uk
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
Www.olyart.co.uk
