“An actress is not a machine, but they treat you like a machine.” is a solo exhibition of the new works by Hajime Sorayama (1947-). It is hosted at NANZUKA, a gallery located at Shibuya, Tokyo. The exhibition features a selection of Sorayama’s latest paintings, which are modeled on the character of Marilyn Monroe. In addition, there are also a series of sculptural works, which serves as three-dimensional manifestations of his renowned “Sexy Robot” series.
Hajime Sorayama graduated from Chubi Central Art School in 1969, and initially worked with an advertising company. Since becoming a freelancer in 1972, he has established his position as a legendary artist both in Japan as well as abroad, who is recognized by his astounding sense of realistic techniques.
Sorayama’s extensive oeuvre revolves around an on-going pursuit for beauty, regarding both the human body and the machine. Such depiction, which integrates the aesthetic beauty of the female body into the context of the robot, presents a significant influence on the subsequent formulation of the robotic imagery.
In 1999, he won the Good Design Award and the Media Arts Festival Grand Prize for his work with Sony, on the concept design for their entertainment robot ‘AIBO.’ In 2001 the first generation ‘AIBO’ was added to the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institute and the Museum of Modern Art, and in the same year, Sorayama received another prize for this invention from the Asahi Newspaper. Sorayama is also renowned by his collaboration with the internationally famous rock band, Aerosmith, for the artwork on the cover of their 2001 album, ‘Just Push Play.’
Sorayama continues to receive respect from creators and artists across the world as the godfather of realistic expression thorough his use of the airbrush technique. His 1983 publication “SEXY ROBOT” had generously described the process of painting robots through a series of graphic explanations, and has since been distributed and referenced as a textbook in various art schools throughout the globe. As a result, the influences of Sorayama’s works extend far beyond the boundaries of Japan’s commercial art scene, presenting an impact on a diverse array of media from Hollywood films, the world’s street art and to the realm of fine art.
“I can modify the body without being confined to anatomical limitations, and have the liberty to collage and compose beautiful women in accordance to my taste.”
“An actress is not a machine, but they treat you like a machine.”
Hajime Sorayama
Sat 30 Jan – Sat 5 Mar, 2016
11:00 -19:00, Closed on Mon, Sun, and Holidays
NANZUKA
©Hajime Sorayama Courtesy of NANZUKA
(Source: Minimal)
