Saturday, 04 October 2025
Saturday, 04 October 2025
K-pop boy band BTS leader RM’s debut solo art collection in SFMOMA, San Francisco, may have made headlines on Friday, but it is just a new chapter in his journey as an artist.
From museum-hopping across the world to collecting contemporary artefacts, RM has steadily built a reputation of being a cultural icon with an artistic flair.
Over the years, he has also shared glimpses of his sketches, personal collections, and inspirations, revealing a creative side that quietly runs alongside his music career.
On Friday, the 31-year-old rapper-singer shared his excitement about his upcoming exhibition at SFMOMA, reflecting on a journey that began in 2018, during a musical concert tour of BTS in Chicago.
During the tour, RM visited the Art Institute of Chicago, where he was captivated by works from artists like Georges Seurat and Claude Monet.
In an Instagram post shared on Friday, RM revealed how over the years he has been collecting, learning, and sketching. And now he is bringing together works from his personal collection alongside pieces from the museum.
“The exhibition will bring together works I’ve collected over the years alongside pieces from SFMOMA’s collection, shaped through our shared curatorial process. If you have some time next October(2026), I would be honoured if you could visit with an open heart. I will do my best to create an experience that feels enjoyable, refreshing, and worth your time. Thank you,” he wrote.
The K-pop idol has consistently supported art initiatives, including participation in the 2020 ‘Connect, BTS’ project, which aimed to bridge art and music through commissioned works and exhibitions in cities worldwide.
RM frequently visits art galleries and exhibitions of both famous and struggling contemporary artists in Korea to help them draw international fame.
In 2021, the rapper-singer donated 100 million KW to the Overseas Cultural Heritage Foundation to help them restore and preserve Hwarot (traditional Korean bridal robe) at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
He previously loaned a terracotta sculpture of a horse by artist Kwon Jin-kyu from his private collection to the Seoul Museum of Art in 2022.
In 2022, he filmed a live performance at the Dia Beacon art museum, inspired by the space and the art of Richard Serra. The rapper also paid tribute to the late painter Yun Hyong-keun in his first solo album, Indigo.
In his 2024 documentary Right People, Wrong Person, RM revealed how art has helped in his creative process over the years. In June 2025, RM was selected as a global ambassador for Samsung’s Art TVs, where he shared his own art discovery journey.
The upcoming exhibition, titled RM X SFMOMA, is set to run from October 2026 to February 2027. The show will feature about 200 pieces, combining selections from RM's personal collection with works from the SFMOMA archives.
