If professional wrestling is an art form, professional wrestlers are artists. And if their work is fleeting, then so are their bodies. This was the same quandary that Ring of Honor Pure champion Lee Moriarty faced, until he decided to further explore his artistic ability.
Last year, he took up painting, firstly as a hobby but secondly as an extension of his professional wrestling artistry, painting colorful, vibrant portraits of iconic wrestling figures juxtaposed into peaceful situations.
“I’ve always been an artist since before I even discovered pro wrestling,” Moriarty says. “I’ve been drawing since I was a kid, and I decided to get into painting because I wanted to challenge myself, and I also wanted to create something that could exist in galleries or art exhibitions.”
Lee Moriarty's paintings, which can be seen at José, are the ultimate juxtaposition.
Courtesy of Cultural Counsel
His first two paintings were portraits of wrestlers Jushin “Thunder” Liger and the Blue Demon, both wearing traditional luchador masks, but with suits on instead of spandex tights. Moriarty has long been fascinated with Mexican pro wrestling culture. His first trip outside of the country was to Mexico to train with luchadores.
“One of my favorite aesthetics is luchadores in suits,” he says. “It combines fashion and street wear with this thing that’s universally understood as pro wrestling. Anybody that sees that knows what the sport is.”
Moriarty's work was shown at a Miami art show by Adam Abdalla, president of the creative strategy firm Cultural Counsel. Brady Wood, founder of hospitality brand, WoodHouse, purchased both paintings and now displays them at WoodHouse restaurant, José in North Dallas, ahead of a massive North Texas pro wrestling weekend.
Tonight, Moriarty faces Blue Panther in a title defense of his Ring of Honor Pure Championship. If he wins, he'll become the longest tenured title holder in the belt’s history. In September, the Pittsburgh native will debut his first solo art exhibition at the Night Gallery in Los Angeles, where eight new original paintings will be displayed for a month. Either accomplishment would be a befitting legacy for an artist; Moriarty is talented enough to have both.
“Professional wrestlers are typically seen as violent athletes,” he says. “I’m a very peaceful person outside of what I do in the ring, and I want to showcase that.”
