Ten Questions with Labubu's Creator, Kasing Lung, on the Eve of His Solo Exhibition

Kasing, currently residing in Belgium, was born in Hong Kong and moved to the Netherlands with his family when he was young. This move exposed him to many ancient European fairy tales, leading him to create his own elf character, Labubu, and its magical world in 2015. Although his works appear to be full of childlike wonder, a closer look reveals the harsh realities of the real world. Kasing is extremely popular in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Mainland China, with his picture book-based vinyl toys selling out instantly and even sparking resale trends.

Why the idea to paint fairy tales?

"As a child, I enjoyed reading storybooks and was influenced by ancient European fairy tales. In those days, without video games or computers, I could only draw characters with a pen, so I've had the idea of painting fairy tales since I was young."

How many elf characters did you create for this exhibition? And which one is your favorite?

"In the works displayed this time, there are over 100 elf characters, and about 20 of them have names. My favorites are Labubu with long ears and Tycoco with a skull head. I personally like characters that are neither wholly good nor evil. Although Labubu looks evil and sneaky, it is actually kind-hearted. I chose Tycoco because I like skulls, and in the character setting, Labubu also likes to tease Tycoco, such as taking Tycoco's head off and throwing it around."

How long did it take from preparation to the official exhibition?

"It took about 6 or 7 months! There are more than 20 color and 20 black and white paintings on display, and some paintings that couldn't be hung on the wall will be shown in folders. Among them, the 20 paintings on the wall can be connected to form a large piece with over a hundred elves. If you look carefully, you will find that all the works are permeated by Labubu, telling the story of its exploration in the elf world. Therefore, it appears in every painting, walking in the same direction as a connection. If it were to walk in the opposite direction, the story would not be continuous."

What was the most difficult part of the entire exhibition?

"The most difficult part should be thinking about the composition of those 20 paintings. It is a large painting, and at the same time, it can be separated into 20 independent works. Since I wanted Labubu to permeate each work, I had to avoid the problem of similar scenes when it passed by, so creating the composition of 20 works under the limitations of non-repetitive composition and Labubu not being able to walk in the opposite direction was very difficult."

Do you think the stories you paint are suitable for adults?

"Absolutely! Although they look childish or naive, I'm just using them to package a world of survival of the fittest. Of course, they won't go to the extreme of mutual slaughter, but the stories contain many microcosms of reality. For example, in 'Right Away,' although the stronger monster captured one of the Labubus, the other Labubus worked together to save it, expressing different aspects of the real world."

What do you think about the recent craze for vinyl toys?

"I think it's similar to the trend of 12-inch action figures a few years ago. Actually, 12-inch action figures are still fun; it's just that people's focus has changed. Now, vinyl toys have become a trend, let's see how long it lasts."

What's your opinion on your vinyl toys being resold at high prices?

"From my standpoint, although it shows my popularity, I really don't like it. Many times, friends who genuinely support me come to me for autographs on special editions, saying they had to buy them at very high prices. When they tell me the price, even I am shocked! Last year, at the Taipei International Toy Creation Exhibition auction, a set of 7 special edition Labubus was sold for over 200,000 Taiwan dollars, indirectly driving up the resale market price. This kind of resale trend is even more prevalent in China, but I really don't like people making a profit from my work."

How do you choose which colors to release for Labubu vinyl toys?

"It's actually a conclusion reached in meetings with How2work, the toy company that makes my vinyl toys. The reason for choosing these colors is mostly because we find them interesting and fun. Most colors are only released in quantities of about 100 or less because the original intention was to make them for supporters to collect, not for resale. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, so now we use a lottery system to make the purchase process fairer, hoping to eliminate the opportunity for scalpers to buy in bulk."

Finally, do you have any new developments to share with everyone?

"The second half of the year will also be very busy. In July, I will hold an exhibition called 'Toy Forest' in Taiwan and participate in the Wonder Festival toy show in Japan. In September and November, I will hold solo exhibitions in Beijing and Taiwan, respectively, and in October and December, I will participate in the Taipei International Toy Creation Exhibition and Hong Kong ToySoul."