Immediately after being diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, Ōyama created this work. He skipped denial, anger, and despair, and instead felt gratitude toward the disease. “Every major event in my life, like joint replacement surgeries, has been a gift. For example, when I was hospitalized for retinal detachment, two friends who had never met ended up running into each other in my hospital room. To fill the awkward silence, they started talking—and in the end, everyone became very close. I realized, ‘If people share the same space, they grow close,’ and that’s how I started my ‘connection-making.’ I gathered people I liked and introduced them to each other, and my world expanded all at once. Friends brought in other friends, and I formed irreplaceable bonds. I even published a book about these connections. So when the doctor told me I had amyloidosis, I thought, ‘Interesting—my life is fascinating.’ Back in my fighter days, when I struggled, got injured, and had no friends, I learned to observe things from a broad perspective. When you see things from a distance, the view changes. ‘Life is a tragedy in close-up, but a comedy in long shot.’” The numbness that began in his left hand spread to both hands. At one point, breathing was so difficult he couldn’t get out of bed for four days. For a while, even holding the solo exhibition seemed uncertain. But after his rare-disease application was accepted and he could receive injections to slow the disease’s progression, his symptoms improved. “For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel like training. I decided to accept that. Muscle loss would have been unforgivable for my old self, but with this disease, I developed a strong awareness: I want to leave proof of life in the world. My muscles may have weakened, but my creative drive ignited. After that, all I had to do was shape what poured out of my body. People were amazed at my extraordinary focus when they saw the number of works. Without amyloidosis, the exhibition would never have happened. It really was a gift. This disease has propelled my life forward in a big way. It reminded me of my fighter days, stepping into the PRIDE ring. Being thrown into a massive current of destiny, the whole scene shifting before me—and then suddenly colliding with top fighter Wanderlei Silva in a packed Saitama Super Arena it’s similar to that,” Ōyama said. Resting, reviewing his diet, taking care of himself—all of that is effective for managing amyloidosis. And when he found a medium he loved—painting—Junko also felt it was wonderful. Truly a gift. “Hundreds of dear friends I met through connection-making came to the exhibition. Seeing him surrounded by them, I felt genuinely happy. That shared enjoyment is the most important part of his life. I’m sure he’ll spend his entire life creating art,” Junko said.