Hajime Sorayama, an illustrator known for his "Sexy Robot" series and the concept design for Sony's "AIBO," is holding a new solo exhibition titled "Actresses Are Not Machines, But They Are Treated Like Machines" at Gallery NANZUKA in Shibuya on January 30th. Hajime Sorayama began his career as a freelance illustrator in the 1970s, specializing in airbrush illustrations. His first work was a Suntory advertisement in 1978, and he became known for his signature airbrush technique in the 1980s. His metallic robotic and fetishistic portrayals of feminine beauty have earned him a legendary presence in Japan's subculture scene and abroad. In 1999, Sony's AIBO won the Good Design Award and the Japan Media Arts Festival Grand Prix, and the original AIBO is part of the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institution and the Museum of Modern Art. Sorayama's illustrated work collections, often used as textbooks in art schools overseas, are considered a master of hyperrealism. He is best known for his CD jacket design for Aerosmith's "Just Push Play," but he's also known for his collaborations with A Bathing Ape, Nike, Beams, Stüssy, and others, earning him numerous fans in the fashion world. At Pitti Immagine Uomo '89 in January of this year, Korean designer Jun J presented a runway show featuring a collection centered around Sorayama. Along with the boom in street art and neo-Japonesque, including collaborative figures with graffiti artist KAWS, Sorayama's work is gaining renewed recognition overseas. This exhibition features 10 new paintings depicting his beloved Marilyn Monroe as a robot, as well as two life-size and one-third scale sexy robot sculptures.

【Event Information】
Sorayama Hajime New Solo Exhibition "Actresses are not machines. But they are treated like machines."
Venue: NANZUKA
Address: Shibuya Ibis Building B1F, 2-17-3 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Dates: January 30th - March 5th
Time: 11:00 - 19:00
Closed: Mondays, Sundays, and public holidays
Admission: Free

Text: Noda Tatsuya