Who is Kasing Lung? All about brains behind Labubu madness
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Kasing Lung, the brain behind Labubu madnessLabubu, the cute and tricky toy that has taken the top spot at POP MART, keeps winning the hearts of fans who like to collect toys and those who just enjoy them, all over the world. Known for its clever grin and a bit of an odd charm, Labubu has caught on fast on social media, with fans happy to show pictures and swap hard-to-find toys.
Labubu is more than just a toy, it's a being with its own fun spirit and a story-like soul. First thought up from kids' books, old tales, and young dreams, Labubu's tales mix both stories from the West and myths from Asia. With each new model and story, Labubu keeps winning hearts, showing that even little ones can stir big dreams.
Behind this odd little character is Kasing Lung, an artist who makes up stories deep in myths and the wide-eyed wonder of kid dreams. By mixing parts of old tales with a hint of the strange, Lung gives life to characters like Labubu, pulling people into a place where fun and mystery live together in all the small things.
How a childhood abroad shaped Kasing Lung's magical Universe
It was sheer chance that gave Kasing Lung the idea of the wacky world he was to conjure up through his trip to the Netherlands from Hong Kong at the tender age of seven. Having to learn the Dutch language when he was young in life, he would get assistance through the use of picture books, an occasion that has covertly established the cornerstone of his interest in drawing.
At his parents' restaurant, he created a world of sketches and storybooks of his own fantasy. He derived his creativity through his imagination and transformed these characters into fragments of his own expectations and nightmares. An impression of Nordic folklore, with its mischievous elves and spirits of the forest, also impressed, and is visible in his most beloved creation, his little character Labubu, something of a sprite inhabiting the border between Western fairy tales and Chinese mythology.
Lung as an artist has come through a process that took him to drawing children books in Belgium where he became the first Chinese to ever win the Illustration Award of the nation, back to making himself a toy designer in Hong Kong.
He has since cultivated an international fan base, with such works as his My Little Planet and Lizzy Wil Danssen which combine European narrative traditions with Asian folklore and popular cult objects.
Labubu and the enchanted world of Kasing Lung
Kasing Lung may have had no idea of the fate that would await his scribble when he first started drawing characters in order to help orient himself in a new place as a child, but after a lifetime of development the characters he doodled have become the beloved inhabitation of The Monsters. The mischievous-looking Labubu, among this fairy-tale crew, is special with its inverted smile, tall pointed ears, and jagged teeth, which bear promise that it is mischievous yet hides within a kind heart that is always willing to lend a hand, although in a disorderly manner.
Initially, a toy that was a personal project in 2015 became popular among art toy fans almost instantly and then among the general audience of collectors. In spite of the immense popularity of Labubu, the original vision of Lung was much more ambitious: an entire family of monsters, each with its own origin story and personality. Other merpeople such as Zimomo and Mokoko even tend to be confused with Labubu, but minor details, such as the shape of a nose (Labubu has got a heart-like one, Mokoko has got the shape of a heart and a nose) or the presence of a tail, distinguish them.
Lung is driven by the love of storytelling, and even though, as he became exceptionally successful, the cadence of new picture books has fallen off, he is still committed to developing and growing this playful world so that Labubu is much more than an additional object to keep on a shelf.
A creative partnership and a growing legacy
Labubu's fame did more than make Kasing Lung well-known, it made designer toys a big deal in culture. In 2019, Lung's special deal with Pop Mart pushed Labubu to top sales in the art toy world. This deal made the Monsters series more known and kept Lung’s way of telling stories in each toy. He still dreams of new tales for Labubu, aiming to release a new picture book soon to please his true fans.
For Lung, it's never just been about toys. It's about bringing folks into a magic wood where its folks are not perfect, yet so easy to love. It's a place a mere kid's drawing can bloom into a world full of play, heart, and dreams.
Labubu grows from playful figurine to coveted modern art collectible
Over the years, Labubu has evolved to much more than an adorable little collectible, becoming an icon of mischievous, contemporary artistic cool, attracting adherents and fans who view the figures as not only cute, but as a mark of expressive creativity. A bizarre creation of Kasing Lung, it somehow became a cult-like phenomenon with fans who show their Labubu items off their shelves or hang on to them like precious artworks.
Such original artworks as the colorful and fantastic Mon examples by Lung have brought quite serious money at auction: one of them was discovered to be traded at about USD 42,200 in early 2024, thus the world of these characters turned out to be so lucrative. The Three Wise Labubu series found its dedicated space in the designer toy market. Since being released in 2017, and shocked bidders recently when the fancifully Gauguinesque trio Don't Hear, Don't See, Don't Speak sold in Hong Kong in early 2019, it achieved a new high of around USD 25,890.
In addition to rare drops, exclusive collaborations such as the Labubu x Vans Old Skool Vinyl Plush Doll have only increased the hype, pairing the style of streetwear to collectable art and creating increased interest among toy lovers, as well as those in street culture.
Labubu is not just a fun monster, it shows Kasing Lung's deep love for telling stories and making art. What started as a small hobby has turned into a vast, dream-like world that gets bigger with every new piece of art and every fan who takes Labubu home. As Lung continues to grow Labubu’s tales through books and toys, this character proves that one simple sketch made in a still time of drawing can light up a whole world where tricks, goodness, and the joy of being young stay alive.
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TOPICS: Labubu