RM (Namjoon Kim)

Collector, Seoul

‘Art embraces the world of dream and disorder’, RM tells Apollo. ‘It creates awareness and opens a window for how we perceive the world.’ A member of the K-Pop sensation BTS, RM is also a major philanthropist of the arts, with a special focus on South Korean artists. His collection includes works by major abstract artists such as Youngkuk Yoo, Hyong-keun Yoon, Kim Whanki and Tschang-yeul Kim. In 2020, the Arts Council of Korea named him the ‘Art Sponsor of the Year’ for his donation to Seoul’s National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, which went towards reprinting art publications to be distributed to public libraries across the country. Last September, he donated 100m Korean won ($71,530) to the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation (OKCHF), which will go towards the restoration of a Joseon-era royal gown in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Recently, he told ‘Intersections: The Art Basel podcast’ that he was thinking about ways to publicly showcase his collection. Of his inclusion in this year’s 40 Under 40, RM says he is ‘truly honoured and grateful for such recognition’.