“Life Is Finite”
He once fought as though his life depended on it.
Shungo Oyama competed on some of Japan’s biggest combat sports stages, including PRIDE and K-1. His bouts against world-class fighters such as Wanderlei Silva, Peter Aerts and members of the Gracie family captivated fans.
Now, the former mixed martial artist is preparing for a solo exhibition in New York.
Held at Tenri Gallery near Union Square in Manhattan from October 19 to 21, the exhibition will feature works centered on the theme of “the energy of life.” For Oyama, painting is more than a pastime after fighting. It is a way to express what he has experienced and how he sees life today.
Painting While Living With Illness
A turning point came when Oyama was diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, a serious disease.
He began painting on his own to express the emotions and passion within him. In roughly 10 months after his diagnosis, he created more than 400 works.
“Life is finite. But that’s exactly why I think life is wonderful,” he said quietly in an interview.
Oyama says his years of fighting under immense pressure continue to shape his creative work.
“Even hardship can become a gift, depending on how you look at it.”
The resolve he developed in the ring now finds its way onto canvas.
A World of Unfiltered Emotion
More than 900 people visited Oyama’s first solo exhibition, The World of Shungo Oyama, during its weeklong run in Mejiro, Tokyo, in 2025. Some visitors were moved to tears in front of his paintings.
His works carry a raw emotional force, unconstrained by formal technique or composition. Alongside their intensity are traces of loneliness, inner conflict and hope, expressed through color and line.
“I believe some things can be conveyed without words,” he said.
A reception is planned for the New York exhibition. Oyama is eager to see how audiences in a city that draws artists from around the world will respond to his work. Despite the anticipation and nerves, he has no intention of stopping.
Shungo Oyama is still fighting after leaving the ring—now with color and emotion instead of his fists.
PROFILE
Shungo Oyama is a former mixed martial artist who competed in PRIDE against some of the world’s leading fighters. After being diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, he taught himself to paint and created more than 400 works in approximately 10 months. His first solo exhibition, The World of Shungo Oyama, drew more than 900 visitors during its weeklong run in Mejiro, Tokyo, in 2025. He continues to create art centered on “the energy of life.”
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Shungo Oyama NY Solo Exhibition
Reception: Monday, October 19, 7–9 p.m.
Exhibition:
Tuesday, October 20, noon–6 p.m.
Wednesday, October 21, noon–4 p.m.
【Venue】Tenri Gallery
43A West 13th Street, New York, NY, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
