國本泰英是獲得2019年One Art Taipei新賞獎得主之一（同年獲獎的還有我們另一位韓國藝術家權能），他以「記憶」為創作軸線，認為人類依賴視覺形象組織過去的經驗，缺失的片段，或多或少都會經由人類擅自的解釋補上，最後存在於記憶裡的影像可能早已不是事情的原貌。作品經常呈現相似又不盡相同的畫面，尤其經常描繪橫綱力士或游泳選手，最有辨識度的五官及形體邊界卻刻意以技法模糊，似乎要告訴你記憶是一件多麽籠統而不可被信任的事情，讓人想起高松次郎60年代創作的〈影〉系列。

 

相撲（SUMO）系列之外，本次展出他另一個同樣受歡迎的系列——泳者。

 

或許對台灣人很難想像，但日本是唯一一個亞洲國家將游泳課納入中小學國民義務教育課綱，時間長達50年以上。而這樣的日本人集體記憶的起因來自於二戰後1950至1960 年代，日本社會接連發生重大海難事故，造成許多學生意外喪生，引發社會輿論高度關注。政府與地方教育單位因此開始檢討，認為身為四面環海、河川湖泊眾多的國家，國民若沒有基本水性是巨大的安全風險。於是中央政策逐步推動游泳教育制度化，適逢1964年東京即將舉辦奧運，因此藉此將游泳納入體育課程標準，並投入經費建設校園泳池、建立教學規範，讓學生從基礎漂浮、自救到規律訓練逐步培養能力。長期執行後，游泳變成日本教育中幾乎理所當然的必備科目，也有效降低學生溺水意外，成為一項以生命安全為核心、基於歷史教訓而形成的國家教育政策。

與相撲系列探討「記憶」的概念相同，游泳是日本人的文化與共同記憶。國本泰英藉由描繪日本學生從泳池邊入水游泳或是等待老師呼喚的場景，乍看之下似乎都是同一個人，但臉、手腳的角度等姿態又略有微妙不同，引起觀者投射自身的記憶至畫面當中。

 

Yasuhide Kunimoto is one of the recipients of the 2019 One Art Taipei New Award (alongside fellow awardee, Korean artist Kwon Neung). His artistic practice centers on the concept of memory, proposing that human beings rely heavily on visual images to organize past experiences. Missing fragments are often unconsciously filled in through personal interpretation, and as a result, the images that ultimately remain in memory may no longer correspond to the original reality.

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Kunimoto’s works frequently present scenes that appear similar yet subtly different. He is particularly known for depicting yokozuna sumo wrestlers and swimmers. While these figures are immediately recognizable by their iconic forms, Kunimoto deliberately blurs facial features and bodily contours through painterly techniques, suggesting that memory itself is vague, unstable, and fundamentally unreliable. This visual strategy recalls the conceptual investigations of Jiro Takamatsu’s Shadow series from the 1960s, in which perception and representation are similarly destabilized.

In addition to his well-known SUMO series, this exhibition presents another highly acclaimed body of work: the Swimmer series.

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While it may be difficult for Taiwanese audiences to imagine, Japan is the only Asian country to have included swimming as a compulsory subject in its national elementary and secondary school curriculum—for more than fifty years. This collective memory originates from the postwar decades of the 1950s and 1960s, when a series of major maritime accidents resulted in the tragic deaths of many students, drawing intense public attention. In response, the government and local education authorities reassessed national safety priorities, recognizing that for a country surrounded by seas and dense with rivers and lakes, a lack of basic swimming skills posed a serious risk.

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As a result, swimming education was gradually institutionalized as national policy. Coinciding with preparations for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, swimming was formally incorporated into physical education standards, accompanied by public investment in school swimming pools and standardized teaching systems. Students were trained progressively—from basic floating and self-rescue skills to structured swimming practice. Over time, swimming became an almost unquestioned component of Japanese education, significantly reducing drowning accidents and standing as a national policy shaped by historical trauma and a commitment to life safety.

Much like the SUMO series’ exploration of memory, swimming functions as a deeply embedded cultural and collective memory for the Japanese people. In Kunimoto’s paintings, students are shown entering the pool, swimming, or waiting quietly at the poolside for a teacher’s signal. At first glance, the figures appear to depict the same individual; yet subtle variations in facial features, limb positions, and bodily angles introduce small but crucial differences. These nuances invite viewers to project their own memories into the image, transforming the painted scene into a shared psychological space where personal recollection and collective experience quietly overlap.