Art enthusiast RM bought the 'Noseless Elephant'.

March 19, 2026 729 views Updated: Aug 20, 2026 Source: 매일경제 Translated and reviewed by the KOTourLive Editorial Team

Art lover RM purchased 'The Elephant Without a Trunk'

It was belatedly confirmed that RM, the leader of BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan), purchased a work by artist Eom Jeong-sun titled 'The Elephant Without a Trunk'. According to the art world, RM bought the small ceramic sculpture 'The Elephant Without a Trunk' at the art fair KIAF Seoul held last September, and it is reported that he visited KIAF twice at the time.

The piece in RM's collection is a sculpture that simplifies parts of the elephant, and not only the trunk but also one of the legs is missing. It is described as featuring the coexistence of the rough yet smooth texture characteristic of ceramics.

Eom Jeong-sun, the artist who made the work, is known to allow visitors to touch the pieces in the exhibition space. It is said to induce a tactile experience that, beyond simply confirming form, creates a fissure in the visual-centric hierarchy.

The 'The Elephant Without a Trunk' series was recently also installed at Korea University Hyundai Motor Management Building. As BTS holds a comeback performance 'BTS Comeback Live: Arirang (ARIRANG)' at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on the 21st, Hakgojae Gallery in Jongno-gu is hosting Eom Jeong-sun's solo exhibition 'Bopuragi - Tactile Incident'. At the exhibition, visitors can touch a 'The Elephant Without a Trunk' sculpture similar in form to the one RM purchased, and the exhibition runs until the 28th.

RM is regarded as an art enthusiast, and is reported to own works by contemporary Korean artists such as Lee Bae's 'From Fire', Jeong Young-ju's 'Disappearing Hometown 730', and Muna's 'Sound of Eternity'. Among foreign artists, he is known to own works by Takashi Murakami, Ugo Rondinone, and KAWS.

Also, RM is scheduled to hold a special exhibition 'RM X SFMOMA' in collaboration with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) in the U.S. this October, and the exhibition is expected to include works by Yun Hyong-keun, Park Rae-hyun, Kwon Ok-yeon, Kim Yun-shin, Do Sang-bong, and Jang Uk-jin from RM's collection.

[Reporter Jeong Yu-jeong]

This article was translated and republished by KOTourLive from 매일경제. Copyright of the original belongs to the publisher. View original