Kasing Lung: The Artist Behind Labubu
When Kasing Lung penned the first iteration of Labubu, a small, sharp-toothed elf with wide eyes and pointed ears, he never imagined his work would reach so many people, and certainly not to the scale to which it has taken over the world.
Today, she's everywhere: on blind-box shelves in Hong Kong, hanging from handbags in New York and Paris, and in the hands of collectors all over the world. There's no denying Kasing's influence: Labubu is here to stay.
"The last couple of years I have worked very hard, so this is like a reward for me and my work," Kasing says. "I enjoy seeing people getting inspired to create their own artworks based on mine, and it definitely surprised me because I never expected my art to become this successful."
Humble Beginnings
What sets Labubu apart is her refusal to be ordinary. "They are not the typical cute characters people are used to," Kasing notes. "They have their own uniqueness." That uniqueness was shaped by his own experiences. Born in Hong Kong, Kasing moved with his family to a small village in the Netherlands as a young boy. His parents ran a Chinese restaurant, and he suddenly found himself in a place where he did not speak the language. With no games or television to distract him, he turned to books.
"I used to, and still do, read a lot of comic books and picture books because I didn't know Dutch yet," he recalls. "I think a huge part of my inspiration comes from reading them so much." Those books were filled with Nordic folklore and fairy tales about elves and forest spirits. Upstairs, above the busy restaurant, with no games or television around, young Kasing spent hours drawing. Those quiet afternoons planted the first seeds for the strange, slightly mischievous world of The Monsters.
Labubu began as a character in Kasing's illustrated storybooks. She belonged to a tribe of elf-like beings living in their own world of whimsy. "Her personality naturally developed over the course of so many books I've written, and I have added many attributes to reflect that in the books," he explains. Her fanged smile, big expressive eyes, and mix of mischief and vulnerability grew, page after page. She felt real because Kasing let her grow in her own time instead of forcing her into a perfect shape.
Road To Success
The road from those storybooks to store shelves was long and often lonely. Early collaborations brought out small batches of books and figures, but they did not sell well. For years, the characters sat quietly with very little interest. Self-doubt crept in, but with the support of his wife, friends, and longtime collaborator Howard Lee, Kasing kept pushing forward.
Slowly, things began to change. Labubu first caught on in Taiwan, then spread across Asia. The big turning point came in 2019 when he signed with Pop Mart. Suddenly, the little elf was everywhere, appearing in countless colors and versions that collectors could not get enough of. Then in 2024 came an unexpected boost. Korean idols like BLACKPINK's Lisa began showing their love for Labubu. When Lisa posted photos of the character hanging from her luxury bags, the pictures went viral and introduced Labubu to millions of new fans around the world.
Inside the Studio
Even with all the success, Kasing's creative process remains the same as it always has: deeply personal and grounded in everyday life. "I find inspiration in my daily life," he says. "I read a lot of books and get a lot of inspiration from them, as well as listening to music and talking to people." He collects little moments from everyday life and lets them sit until an idea feels right. He knows a drawing is finished when it just feels complete.
Nowadays, when AI can create art in the blink of an eye, Kasing still believes in the warmth of something made by hand. "I hope to keep creating works that capture people's attention and show them that you can think out of the ordinary," he says. "I hope people will talk about it and make more people want to be in a creative position too, because AI and computer work will never compare to hand-made work. Hand-made work reflects the personality of the creator."
"Hand-made work reflects the personality of the creator."
Kasing Lung never set out to build something huge; he simply kept drawing what felt true to him. Looking ahead, he is most excited about going back to where it all started: returning to the illustrated stories that first brought Labubu and The Monsters to life, because the little elf with the sharp teeth still has plenty of stories left to tell.
