Uchida Reina solo exhibition, “Stone Age × Painter!!?” Hajimari ha Cro-magnon, Vol. 2 Exhibition- Welcome to the Hill of Ekain☆彡-
shimokitazawaartsJanuary 10 - 25, 2026
1-7pm
Closed on Mon, Tue and Wed.
☆Talk Event & Book Signing Event
January 10, 2026 3-5pm
Talk：Hara Ryosuke (painter) × Uchida Reina
☆opening reception
January 10, 2026 5-7pm
*Anyone can participate in the event and reception.
Shimokitazawa Arts is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Uchida Reina,
“Stone Age × Painter!!?” Hajimari ha Cro-magnon, Vol. 2 Exhibition- Welcome to the Hill of Ekain.☆彡-
Uchida Reina was born in Aichi Prefecture in 1993. She graduated from the Department of Fine Arts (Oil Painting Course II), Faculty of Fine Arts, Nagoya University of the Arts in 2017, and completed her MFA in Oil Painting (Painting Studio I) at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2019. She is currently based in Tokyo and Ibaraki, Japan.
Shortly after entering graduate school at Tokyo University of the Arts, Uchida fell into a creative slump in which she no longer understood how to make her own work. During this period, she covered a storage space in her studio with black sheets and spent time inside the pitch-dark room. Struggling with the question, “How can I create light?”, she eventually arrived at the idea that by creating a curtain on an otherwise empty wall, one could imagine a “window” within the mind through which light could enter. This realization led her to begin producing curtain-based artworks.
Uchida likened herself, alone in the darkness, to Cro-Magnon people of the Paleolithic era who lived in dark caves. From this association emerged the curtain work series “Dream of Cro-Magnon,” inspired by cave paintings. Furthermore, as the scenery visible through the “window” of this series, Uchida began drawing the pencil comic “Hajimari ha Cro-magnon.”
Most people have experienced mental images that appear in their minds only to fade away. In the Paleolithic era, the setting of Hajimari ha Cro-magnon some 20,000 years ago, preserving such “images” was far more difficult than it is today. At that time, only selected “genius cave painters,” permitted to draw in sacred caves, were allowed to leave images behind. The protagonist, Reina, who loves drawing, strives to become a cave painter in order to create “drawings that will not disappear,” meeting various Cro-Magnon people along the way. Based on Uchida’s own experiences, all characters and stories are rendered entirely in pencil. Volume 1 of Hajimari ha Cro-magnon was published by Art Diver in 2023.
In January 2026, coinciding with this exhibition, Volume 2 will be published by the same publisher.
At the exhibition, a bookshelf displaying both Volumes 1 and 2 of Hajimari ha Cro-magnon will be installed, allowing visitors to freely browse and purchase the books. Surrounding the bookshelf will be original drawings from the manga as well as velour curtain works from the “Dream of Cro-Magnon” series, inspired by cave paintings.
On the opening day, Saturday, January 10, a book signing and a talk event with painter Hara Ryosuke will be held. Hara is known for his luminous landscapes painted in a single layer of unmixed oil colors. Uchida, a longtime admirer of his work, first met him when she visited his solo exhibition “Sagiko and Funako: In The Presence of Light” at the Hiratsuka Museum of Art in 2025. There, she discovered that Hara was already a fan of Hajimari ha Cro-magnon Volume 1, which led to the realization of this dialogue event. During the talk, Hara Ryosuke and Uchida Reina will discuss their respective works and creative processes.
We warmly invite you to immerse yourself in the joyful and imaginative Cro-Magnon ☆♪! world woven by Uchida Reina.
Artist statement
“I finally finished drawing it!! Volume 2!!”
Thank you so much for waiting—and I’m truly sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. Above all, thank you for your continued support.
And to everyone who appears in the manga—thank you, too!
Volume 1 was produced in the same large, easy-to-read format as a weekly manga magazine, so that readers could experience it as close to the original drawings as possible. With its carefully considered texture, the “pencil manga book” became one of my most cherished creations.
And now, Volume 2… it’s been reborn in a wonderful size you can read anytime, anywhere!
The book will be published in B6 tankōbon format—compact and lightweight. I tried holding it, and yes, it really is light! This is manga as it should be: perfect for reading on the train, in the living room, in the kitchen, and of course, in the studio.
Truly, it’s become something like “Cro-Magnon ☆♪! anywhere!”
I would be delighted if you would pick it up and enjoy reading it.
To share just a little about the story of Volume 2:
Reina, who has been struggling alone with the question, “How can I draw pictures that will never disappear?”, begins to encounter other young “artists-in-the-making” of her generation who share the same doubts. These uniquely individual Cro-Magnon people soon appear before her—and she finds herself swept up by them all…!! (What?!)
What on earth is happening to her? (So thrilling!)
Now then—everyone, you’ve got your Explorer Pass ready, right??
Let’s take a peek together into the world of 20,000 years ago ⭐︎
(Of course, if this is your first time discovering the series, you are more than welcome. At the publication commemorative exhibition, both Volumes 1 and 2 will be displayed together on a bookshelf. How about starting the new year—and 2026 itself—with a new manga? There may even be a special drawing gift featuring “a horse from 20,000 years ago × Reina”… who knows?!)
Now, without further delay—
Welcome to the Hill of Ekain ☆彡
This work was titled “Hajimari ha Cro-magnon” after drawing inspiration from the initial creative impulse felt when first starting to draw manga, as well as from cave paintings—the oldest surviving artworks created by humankind.
Each page is drawn entirely in pencil on a sketchbook, with every sheet torn out one by one. While it is a manga, the work was created with a strong awareness of each individual page as a standalone piece of art. Not only is the artwork itself powerful, but the story is also deeply compelling.
The work resonates not only with those engaged in the arts, but especially with anyone who has ever aspired to express themselves creatively.
Uchida, who is aiming for commercial publication, has now completed Volume 2, which is currently available for pre-order through Art Diver. The website also offers a glimpse of newly introduced characters, making it well worth a visit.
“Thank you for waiting!! Pre-orders now open｜Scheduled for release in January 2026”
Uchida Reina "Hajimari ha Cro-magnon, Vol. 2"
Volume 1 of Hajimari ha Cro-magnon, created with the goal of realizing “pencil manga,” delivers an incredibly realistic texture that feels almost as if pencil dust might rub off on your hands with each page turn, thanks to its high-quality printing. As you read, you’ll find yourself subtly transported 20,000 years into the past, embarking on a journey of self-expression alongside Reina. Enjoy the playful interactions with a diverse cast of characters, and as you share in Reina’s joys, sorrows, and surprises, be prepared for moments of unexpected emotional impact.
Uchida Reina "Hajimari ha Cro-magnon"
_____________
Uchida Reina
Born in Aichi pref. Japan, 1993
2017 BFA, Nagoya University of Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Western painting
2019 MFA, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts, Oil painting
favorite artists：Tezuka Osamu, Walt Disney, Edvard Munch
Solo exhibition
2024 Dreams of Cro-magnon "Where is Reina ? " Shimokitazawa Arts Edition, Shimokitazawa Arts, Tokyo
2023 "Hajimari ha Cro-Magnon Publication Commemorative Exhibition , I might go to El Castillo tomorrow!” TAKU SOMETANI GALLERY, Tokyo
2022 "Dream of Cro-Magnon" TAKU SOMETANI GALLERY, Tokyo
2021 "Dream of Cro-Magnon" HIGURE 17-15 cas, Tokyo
2020 "Dream of Cro-Magnon" SEIBU SHIBUYA Art meets Life, Tokyo
Selected group exhibition
2025
“Surface of Desire” SISOUL.S Exhibition at MEDEL GALLERY SHU, Tokyo
2024
“ART SESSION by Ginza Tsutaya Books” – GINZA ATRIUM, Ginza Tsutaya Books, Tokyo
"ON PAPER" TAKU SOMETANI GALLERY, Tokyo
"Expression Vol.3" Changting gallery, Tokyo
2023
"Misawa Atsuhiko, ANIMALS/Multi-dimensions" Chiba City Museum of Art, Chiba pref., Japan
※Providing the "You too are a Cro-Magnon⭐♪! Portrait" work drawing Mr. Misawa Atsuhiko.
"CHANGTING GALLERY 3RD EXHIBITION" Changting gallery, Tokyo
"Night Before the Big Break in Kanazawa' Now selection ~ Night Before the Big Break'" ASTER, Kanazawa
"Night Before the Big Break : The Next Generation of Artists" GINZA SIX Artglorieux of Tokyo, Tokyo
2022
"ON PAPER" TAKU SOMETANI GALLERY, Tokyo
2019年
"SHIBUYA STILE vol.13" SEIBU SHIBUYA gallery, Tokyo
Award
2017
Kamiyama Foundation Art Support Programme scholarship student
Nagoya University of Arts Student Award, Chairman's Award
Nagoya University of Arts Graduation Work Exhibition, Award for Excellence in Graduation Work
Publication
2023 the first volume of "Hajimari ha Cro-Magnon" Art Diver Publishing
Instagram : reina_u017
Hajimari ha Cro-Magnon Instagram : reina20000bc
