In a landmark collaboration, Taiwan-based luxury carrier STARLUX Airlines has partnered with visionary Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama to launch AIRSORAYAMA, turning two Airbus A350-1000 aircraft into flying masterpieces. This innovative project marks the first time Sorayamaโs iconic metallic aesthetic has been realized on a fullscale commercial aircraft. The two AIRSORAYAMA aircraft are scheduled to enter service in Q3 2026.
The AIRSORAYAMA collaboration was unveiled today at a launch event at Tokyoโs Omotesando Hillsโan iconic fashion and design landmarkโwhere the vision came to life in an immersive art spacewith digital projections extending Sorayamaโs metallic aesthetic across the walls and echoing the aircraftโs liquidmetal livery. In a highlight moment, Sorayama presented STARLUX Chairman K.W. Chang with a handsigned AIRSORAYAMA artwork, marking the projectโs official launch.
Where Metal and Emotion Converge
Sorayamaโs work explores the relationship between metal and emotionโtransforming industrial materials into expressions of humanity. This philosophy aligns seamlessly with STARLUXโs brand spirit: aircraft may be machines of metal, but they carry human longing, connection, and discovery. Technology enables flight; emotion gives the journey meaning.
Sorayamaโs creative credo echoes STARLUX Airlinesโ commitment to breaking away from conventional airline frameworks and embracing innovation. When STARLUX learned of Sorayamaโs lifelong aspiration to create the worldโs largest artwork, the decision was clear: transform the very symbol of human flightโthe aircraftโinto a flying masterpiece.
Inside the STARLUX AIRSORAYAMA Vision
True collaboration is like fighting side by side on a battlefield
Breaking convention, Sorayama named the project after himself, fusing โAIRโ with his surname to create AIRSORAYAMA, a reflection of the deep significance he places on this partnership. He personally designed the โSTARLUX AIRSORAYAMAโ logo and key visual, underscoring his deep involvement. For him, a collaboration becomes meaningful only when artist and brand form a long-term creative partnershipโa shared destiny rather than a one-off project.
The partnership began with a chance visit to Sorayamaโs studio, where he and Chairman Changโdespite speaking different languagesโimmediately connected through a shared rebellious spirit and a belief in pursuing what has never been done before. A later visit to Narita Airport strengthened that bond. Watching aircraft take off and land, Chairman Chang realized that if Sorayamaโs four decades of work revolve around silver and gold, then those colors should take center stage in the sky: one aircraft in silver with gold accents, the other in gold with silverโtwo flying masterpieces forming a dialogue in motion across the horizon.
The co-branded logo carries Hajime Sorayamaโs signature surreal metallic aesthetic, transforming the โSTARLUX AIRSORAYAMAโ typography into a radiant, cold-metal texture. Every curve and every play of light evokes a vision of the future, lifting the mark beyond typography into a dynamic work of art defined by fluidity and mechanical tension. It is more than a reinvention of typeโit is an avant-garde visual language rich in depth and futuristic expression.
The core visual combines his iconic robot with the aircraft set against a deep blue sky subtly incorporating STARLUXโsโ guiding emblemโthe North Star. The โSTARLUXโ gold ring engraved on the robotโs leg becomes a symbolic link between Sorayamaโs metallic aesthetics and the brandโs spirit. As the form soars through the clouds, refracted light adds depth and vitality. In an age of AI-generated imagery, Sorayamaโs commitment to hand-drawing preserves the emotion and personal expression behind every metallic highlight.
Not Just an Aircraft, but a Skyborne Art Gallery Above the Clouds
STARLUX selected two next-generation Airbus A350-1000 aircraft as Sorayamaโs new artistic medium. At 237 feet in length, each aircraft became the largest canvas of Sorayamaโs six-decade career, fulfilling a dream he first envisioned 30 years agoโafter seeing Jacques-Louis Davidโs The Coronation of Napoleon at the Louvreโto create the worldโs largest artwork.
Over a three-year development process, Sorayama approached the aircraft as a sculptural form, reimagining the livery to enhance the A350-1000โs contours while meeting strict technical requirements. The projectโs greatest challenge was color and finish: aviation safety requirements, carbon-fiber fuselage composition, and lightning protection constraints made mirror-like metallic finishes nearly impossible.
To achieve Sorayamaโs signature cool, liquid-metal effect, STARLUX collaborated closely with Airbus and leading coatings manufacturer MANKIEWICZ. Abandoning solid color shades, they developed high-concentration special mica color shades and multi-coating techniques, successfully imparting the fuselage with the layered, fluid appearance of liquid metal. The result is a flowing, liquid-metal brillianceโwithout compromising safety or weight.
A Pair of Flying Sculptures and Art Beyond the Aircraft
Each aircraft features Sorayamaโs iconic metallic finishes, with underbelly linework inspired by his classic โMechanical Shark (SORAYAMA Shark)โ motifโtransforming the aircraft into a shark soaring through the sky. When viewed from the ground, the aircraftโs sharp, powerful lines create a striking visual impact as it ascends toward the horizon.
Individually, each stands as a complete flying masterpiece. Together, they become a pair of sculptures in motion at 30,000 feetโa traveling exhibition across the worldโs skies. The AIRSORAYAMA experience will extend beyond the livery to include themed in-flight amenities, a safety video, and a series of co-branded merchandise, ensuring that the flying masterpiece experience permeates every stage of the journey.
The two aircraft are named STARLUX AIRSORAYAMA Silver (B-58553) and STARLUX AIRSORAYAMA Gold (B-58554) and are scheduled to enter service in Q3 2026.
