Hajime Sorayama

Born 1947, Imabari, Japan Sorayama trained at Chuo Art School in Tokyo, initially aiming to become a comic book artist. In the early 1970s, he moved into commercial illustration, producing hyper-realistic pin-up images for magazines and advertising. His hallmark became an airbrushed, metallic rendering style—a fusion of classic pin-up tradition (think Alberto Vargas or Gil Elvgren) with science fiction aesthetics. The “Sexy Robot” series became an underground art sensation in the 1980s, influencing not only illustrators but also fashion, design, and music culture. Sorayama’s imagery appeared in advertising, video games, and album art. He gained further fame when Sony used his designs for the original AIBO robotic dog (1999). His work is often associated with the rise of cyber-eroticism and techno-fetishism, anticipating themes in films like Ghost in the Shell (1995) and even pop figures like Daft Punk, who cite him as an influence.