Illustrator and graphic designer Akira Uno, known for his fantastical and mysterious images of young girls, has been a driving force in the postwar Japanese illustration world. Even at the age of 82, he remains an active figure at the forefront of his field. The exhibition "Akira Uno: Picture Book Castle," opening on December 20th at Isetan Shinjuku, focuses on the world of picture books, a theme that Uno has explored. We spoke with him about the distinctive features of his creative process, the driving force behind his work, and his long-standing love for picture books. The Appeal of Expression Unique to Picture Books - What is the appeal of picture book expression for you, Mr. Uno? I believe there are many different types of picture books, but I'm drawn to the mysterious, fantastical, surreal, fantastical, or even cruel expressions that cannot be expressed in words.

There is a picture book called "The White Circus" (Polp Publishing, 1991), for which I wrote and illustrated. A single line begins from the tip of the circus ringmaster's pen, and with each stroke, pictures of elephants, penguins, sea lions, horses, and more appear, continuing onto the next page and the story unfolds. At the end, seven baby goats are almost eaten by a wolf, and are also targeted by a lion... At which point, the ringmaster says, "That's too bad," and pulls back the line, turning the pictures back into a line. He throws the line into the air, which becomes a canvas, into which the ringmaster enters and disappears. This is the way the story unfolds, but this expression would not have been possible anywhere other than in the medium of a picture book. It is a book that I personally love.


--Of all the picture books you have worked on, please tell us about one that made the biggest impression on you.

The text for the picture book Someone Help Me (Kokudosha, 1996) was written by Kadono Eiko, who was also the original author of the film Kiki's Delivery Service. The main character, a girl watching TV, is told to "turn off the lights and go to bed," but then the light bulb turns into a leopard's eyes, the sofa turns into a hippopotamus and chases the leopard away, the piano turns into a zebra, the slippers turn into a hedgehog, and the swivel chair turns into a gorilla as it spins around... It's a story where the line between everyday life and fantasy is a fine one. When I come across texts that can bring out the unique appeal of picture books, or when I meet authors who write texts with ideas I'd never thought of, my work becomes that much more enjoyable.


--Have you ever been inspired by any other encounters?

"The Dragon's Gift: The Legend of the Enoshima Monsters" (Kyoikugageki, 2004) is a pop-up picture book. It even makes sounds when you open and close it. I came up with the story and structure myself, but when I asked a designer who specializes in pop-up books, they added even more ingenuity, making it more three-dimensional than I had expected, and it ended up being even larger and more impressive. It's a work that could only have been achieved through collaboration with a designer.



■ Creating "fun" in your work

--About Uno's thoughts and imagination that go into creating a work.

Rather than simply painting a picture, I like to incorporate various tricks into it. For example, here is a work that I exhibited at my solo exhibition "Capriccio" held at Ginza Mitsukoshi this year. The painting depicts a cat painted by Picasso, on top of which is a cat painted by Tsuguharu Foujita, and on top of that is a cat painted by Miro... and is titled "Picasso, Foujita, Miro, My Cat, and Cocteau's Cat."


Next year's calendar also has a foil-stamped cover, and the cat has only one eye; the other has been carved out and placed in the ring of the girl who is standing next to it as a cat's eye. That's how this cat falls in love with a girl. He doesn't just draw pictures; he likes to set up all sorts of tricks. He makes his work more fun by setting up games like these that make him think, "What's the fun?" This turns the act of drawing into a game rather than "labor."


--What is the process for creating a picture book?

Let me show you a rough draft of a picture book. I draw the pictures directly onto a sample book, pasting in text to make it look as realistic as possible. This is a rough draft from "Cinderella" (Froebel, 2017). While drawing, I made many adjustments to the composition of the screen, such as "I think the witch should be a little higher than Cinderella" or "I want a bolder composition," even at this rough draft stage.


Sometimes ideas for the details of the characters come to me while I'm drawing. For example, I always place a dachshund near Cinderella's sisters, and Cinderella is always paired with a cat. I also think about making the sisters' faces a little more mischievous, and I keep thinking about these things while I'm creating the rough draft. Sometimes I end up thinking that the rough draft is better than the final product, so I've used the rough draft in the final version.

--It really conveys the interest of the book.

I love the three-dimensional shape of picture books. What kind of paper should I choose? What kind of ink should I use? I think of all kinds of creative ideas. I want readers to keep the book at hand, look at it, touch it, feel it, and become immersed in the world of the picture book. Picture books have a unique quality that smartphones just don't have.


■Reason for a Picture Book-Themed Exhibition

--You wrote in your essay for the exhibition at Isetan that I found particularly striking: "I'm looking at illustrations from picture books from a while back. To my disappointment, some are better than they are now, and I find places where I've made corrections, and all of that was part of my youth."

I've created dozens of picture books over the years, and each one is different, so for this exhibition I took a fresh look at my own books, remembering the circumstances under which I created them. I was reminded of the various techniques and thoughts people had back then, and the emotions I felt at the time came flooding back.

The truth is, I've never worked on a best-selling picture book. I've always wanted to create a best-selling picture book, but I've never worked on a hit book. I wonder why (laughs).

--I have the impression that Uno's illustrations are deeply loved by a specific core, passionate fan base.

I'm not good at children's picture books. I enjoy this kind of "play" where the reader actively participates in the book, discovering something new and stimulating their imagination, but I think they're more geared towards adults. While there has been an increase in picture books for adults recently, I feel that picture books themselves have yet to establish a foothold in society.

Even in bookstores, the category of "picture books" is unclear, as to where they belong—in the children's book section or the art section? I hope that the picture book genre will become established and that more people will be able to enjoy it.

Continue to Part 2: "Aquira Uno: 'The Memories Behind the Pictures'"