Technology and Beauty, the Coexistence of Humans and Robots

NANZUKA gallery is hosting "Sorayama Explosion," a new solo exhibition by Hajime Sorayama (b. 1947), his first in two years. Sorayama, who graduated from Chuo Art School in '69 and worked at an advertising agency before going freelance in '72, has become a legendary figure for his pursuit of the beauty of the human body and machines, backed by his incredible realistic technique.

His "Sexy Robot" series (from '78), which brought him widespread fame, incorporated the beauty of the female form into robots, profoundly influencing the subsequent image of robots. In '99, he undertook the concept design for Sony's entertainment robot "AIBO," winning the Good Design Grand Prize (MITI) and the Grand Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival (Agency for Cultural Affairs). In 2001, the first-generation "AIBO" was acquired for the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Museum and MoMA, and in the same year, he also received the Asahi Shimbun Invention Award. The album cover for the world-renowned rock band Aerosmith's "Just Push Play" (2001) was also his work.

Hajime Sorayama is also revered by creators worldwide as the godfather of realistic airbrush techniques, a legendary artist. In his 1983 art book "Sexy Robot," Sorayama generously illustrated the process of creating his robots. This book later spread globally and is used as a textbook in art schools in various countries. Consequently, his work has far surpassed the boundaries of Japanese commercial art, continuing to exert influence across a wide spectrum from Hollywood films to street art and fine art worldwide.

Sorayama's robots embody the fundamental human impulse to pursue aesthetic form, while simultaneously and naturally incorporating critical contemporary themes such as racial barriers, eternal life, and the fusion of technology and beauty. Furthermore, with the advancement of AI and the development of mechanical engineering making the coexistence of robots and humanity a tangible reality, his work is also drawing attention in the context of the post-human physicality era.

This exhibition will feature new human-scale sculptures, as well as new paintings dedicated to the film "Metropolis" ('27), one of the sources of inspiration for Sorayama's "Sexy Robot" series.

Sorayama Explosion

Dates | Saturday, July 7 – Saturday, August 11, 2018
Venue | NANZUKA
Address | Shibuya IBIS Bldg. B2F, 2-17-3 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Hours | 11:00 – 19:00 (Closed Mondays, Sundays, and public holidays)