1. PROLOGUE The Nagoya years

This section presents some of his early creative work, including sketches and croquis from his student days. Uno's talent blossomed early, and his works were selected for a number of design competitions sponsored by the Mainichi Shimbun. At the age of nineteen his work was accepted for the Japan Advertising Artists Club (NISSEMBI) Exhibition, and this became his gateway to success as a graphic designer.

2. Graphic Designer Uno Akira

After moving to Tokyo, Uno’s career as a graphic designer got off to a brilliant start. This section showcases precious original drawings including frog illustrations for Kowa Shinyaku Company, for which he shared a first prize with Wada Makoto, and a newspaper ad drawn for Calpis Food Industry Co.,.

3. Corporate Advertising

Uno was involved in the creation of many ads. At Nippon Design Center, he handled corporate advertising for companies like Toshiba Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation. His poster for "Cashmilon" a synthetic fibre made by Asahi Kasei Corporation, won the members’ Award at the 10th NISSEMBI Exhibition. He was also involved in the creation of a series of ads for cosmetics company Max Factor.

4. Animated films

In the 1960s, Uno released three animated short films, La fête Blanche, Toi et Moi, Don. All three films will be screened at the exhibition.

5. Posters

Uno has created a vast number of posters. This section displays a collection of posters that amply demonstrates Uno's extensive knowledge of printing and his descriptive prowess, conveying his unique style of fantasy, elegance, and eroticism.

6. Picture books, Children's literature

At this point, Uno has been involved the creation of more than seventy picturebooks, and has illustrated many children's books. From adorable animals to precocious girls, he has adroitly changed his style of drawing to suit the tale or the text, creating a wide variety of book art. His books include Dobutsu e to ohanashi [Animal Pictures and Stories] (circa 1957); Aoitori [Bluebird] (circa 1957); Umi no komusume [Girls of the Sea] (1962), with Tadanori Yokoo; and Anoko [That Girl] (1966), with Imae Yoshitomo.

7. Collection of Lithographs, Silk-screen Prints and Other Works

Fed up with working for clients who demanded that he work in styles of the past, in the 1970s and into the 1980s Uno cut down on such creative projects and published a collection of prints and other works, allowing him to reexamine his own style of expression. His works from this time are characterised by realistic physical expression, such as nude female figures drawn in outline and only lightly tinted, generating a unique sense of eroticism.

8. Newspapers and Magazines

Uno has long been involved in newspaper and magazine work, and here he has been able to express himself in many genres, from the erotic to fairy tales. By paying close attention to factors like the content of an article, the author's preferences, and printing specifications, and taking advantage of the flexibility to use different styles and drawing materials, Uno has created a wide breadth of illustrations.

9. Books

Uno has also been involved in designing many book covers from the 1960s to the present. Having begun his career as a graphic designer, book projects, like book illustration, represent an area of expression where he can indulge in the excitement of book and book cover design. For a booklover like Uno, it is an area where his creative motivation never tires.

10. Painting and Three-dimensional Art

On mounting a solo exhibition in 1987, Uno discovered the fascination of creating an exhibition space. Since then, he has continued to select themes and put together solo exhibitions. Unlike his work for clients, these exhibitions are not restricted to specific motifs or styles of expression, and Uno says that the freedom of being able to make all the decisions himself is a real joy. Since the 2000s, he has also been creating human figures out of stone clay.

11. Stage Art

Uno has worked on stage sets, costumes, and makeup, directing and scriptwriting, and even entire stage productions. Especially since the 1990s, he has been intensively involved in theatre productions. The art that Uno creates for the stage has the allure of making it appear as if the world that he has envisioned in two dimensions is transmogrified into three-dimensional space.

12. Recent and New Works

Uno has an affinity for haiku, writing under the haigo (haiku pen name) Satei. In recent years he has been creating new works based on haiku written by Matsuo Basho, Terayama Shuji and others. The world that Uno depicts enjoys support across a broad range of generations and genres. He actively collaborates with other creators and companies, creating posters and merchandise for SHAKALABBITS, BUCK-TICK, Sheena Ringo, and working with Shiseido on the caricature generator Majori-ga (2016) for its Majolica Majorca product line. The power of his creativity never ceases.