"To be erotic and be cool and be stylish has always been my goal." - Hajime Sorayama. It's a strange sensation to feel aroused by a painting. To stare longingly into a woman's unblinking eyes. To share soft, unspoken words.

But that is just the effect bestowed by the "super-real technique" of revered Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama. He resembles a benign maths professor instead of a purveyor of sexually graphic art or, to use his words,"erotic fantasy and aestheticism." But his images of women as sexy cyborg-babes and S&M slaves for their robot masters, both disturbing and tantalizing, have won him cult status.

The woman and machine images, adds Sorayama, are designed to show the contrast of organic and inorganic substances "to express the idea of female beauty."

Painted by hand with no airbrushing, his meticulous works, says Sorayama, bring "super-realism into the territory of fantasy that could not be obtained by photographs." Indeed, the images are beyond lifelike. Critics agree and he's managed to straddle both the hardcore and mainstream markets with his unique images. Aerosmith used one of his women on their latest album, Just Push Play, and he designed Sony's ground-breaking AIBO robo-puppy.

George Lucas is even a fan of his designs and asked him toSkywalker Ranch to discuss his strange and wonderful visions. Sorayama's works appears each month in Penthouse magazine and demand for his one-off pieces has never been higher. One painting, portraying a vinyl-clad woman with both a removable head and penis, recently sold for $10,500.

The 54-year-old says he admires the work of original pin-up artist Alberto Vargas, explains: "As a kid the gorgeous Hollywood movies stars and dazzling pin-up girls of Playboy and later Penthouse were beyond my reach. They were like goddesses to me and pin-up art reflected the glorious American eroticism."

Even ancient drawings on cave walls depict women in sadistic poses whose purpose is to stimulate erotic desire. "I like the contrast of hard metal and soft vulnerable skin. Piercing the skin highlights the contrast more." Says Sorayama's muse, actress-model Julie Strain, when she views his images of her: "It's like I've died and gone to sex heaven."

Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione describes Sorayama as "an artist of extraordinary talent, wondrous imagination and impeccable skill."

And designer Thierry Mugler says his images "provoke incredible sensations and melt into a unique homage to life." Sorayama confesses his passion to paint as a youngster was like an "illness."

But like a loving creator, he says the women he paints are "born as children of the high-tech design with no skin disease or allergy, ignorant of the words decay."