Hajime Sorayama: Chrome, Airbrush and the Machine Made Beautiful
Hajime Sorayama, born in 1947 in Imabari, Ehime, is a master of the airbrush. His paintings render chrome, glass and skin with a precision that looks photographic, and his gleaming robots have influenced science fiction, design and fashion for half a century.
The robots
In the late 1970s Sorayama began painting humanoid robots in polished chrome, reflecting light and their surroundings in mirror-like surfaces. The series made him internationally famous, and his robots became a reference point for science-fiction illustration and film. He later extended the chrome aesthetic to dinosaurs, animals and large sculptures.
Design
Sorayama contributed the concept design for Sony's AIBO robot dog, released in 1999, which won Japan's Good Design Grand Award. In recent years his chrome figures have appeared in fashion collaborations and as monumental sculptures in exhibitions in Japan and abroad.
What collectors find
- Original paintings: airbrushed works on board, the most sought after.
- Prints: signed editions reproducing his paintings.
- Sculpture and multiples: chrome-finished figures in editions and sizes from desktop to monumental.
- Books: art books, some long out of print.
What to check
- Chrome finishes: look for scratches, pitting and clouding; polished metal and plated resin mark easily.
- Edition documentation: numbers, certificates and boxes for multiples.
- Prints: signature, edition and fading.
- Handling: wear gloves with chrome pieces to avoid fingerprints, which can etch some finishes.
Questions collectors ask
Does Sorayama still paint by hand?
His reputation rests on hand-airbrushed work, and originals are prized for that craft.
How should chrome sculptures be displayed?
In a dust-free case or room, away from humidity, cleaned only with a soft dry cloth.