Sorayama: Light, Reflection, Transparency

The definitive critical appraisal of the work of Hajime Sorayama, most known for his sleek, otherworldly, science fiction–fueled paintings, drawings, and large-scale sculptures created with painstaking technical detail. Trained as an illustrator and industrial designer, the Japanese pop artist Hajime Sorayama was, early on, recognized for his design work on the original Sony AIBO—the groundbreaking robotic dog originally released in 1999. His more public-facing artworks continued to grow, his precise, often erotic portrayals of femme robots garnering critical and mass attention. His style, beloved by many, blends equal parts realistic detail and obsession with the future. Sorayama’s work has traveled the globe, garnering crowds of fans at institutions the world over. His works have even landed him center stage alongside the musician The Weeknd, where his robots served as the backdrop to his worldwide tour. Sorayama’s science fiction–fueled fantasies and preoccupation with the female form have resulted in a sprawling oeuvre—sketches; paintings, sculptures, and more—spanning thousands of pieces, earning him a permanent place on the mantle alongside Japanese pop artists including Takashi Murakami, Yayoi Kusama, and the late Keiichi Tanaami. His die-hard fan base is global. While Sorayama is most known for his illustrations depicting gynoids and pinups, his breadth of work has grown to include iconic fashion collaborations, larger-than-life robotic sculptures—femenoids up to eight feet tall, a twelve-foot T-Rex sculpture, depictions of pop culture icons of the West, and more. This volume, insightfully edited and succinctly designed, widens the lens to showcase the artist’s undeniable influence on the art world and popular culture at large. This book is published on the occasion of a traveling retrospective of the artist’s work and is an indispensable volume for fans of the artist as well as an essential for fans of science fiction, streetwear, and pop culture as a whole.