"I’ve been interested in machines and metal since I was child," the legendary Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama told curator Jérôme Sans on the occasion of his solo show CYBER LADIES’ WORLD at Almine Rech in Paris. "I am addicted to the shine of metal. As I was born male, the female body provides aesthetic qualities which I never bore of. It’s like a natural or primitive emotion that was handed down from my ancestors 200,000 years ago." Sorayama has kept that promise to his younger self for the entirety of his career, from commercial work to his newfound glory in fine art and exhibitions. He is a rare artist who boldly looks at sexuality and technology, our relation to AI and our future self. He is a true original. —Evan Pricco