Kasing Lung, who created Labubu. Photo TOYSTV, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. No free image of Labubu itself exists — the character is Pop Mart / Kasing Lung IP.
Labubu
What it took directly
- documentedKasing Lung's SALVATOR MICHAEL "H20W" edition (How2Work, 2021) took from Michael Lau's SALVATOR MICHAEL figure"How2work is celebrating their 20th Anniversary with "HOW20WORKS", and has since announced the "H20W" Edition of Michael Lau's "SALVATOR MICHAEL", in collaboration with Kasing Lung!" How2Work anniversary announcement, reported by ToysRevil
What it learned to do
- statedKasing Lung (as an illustrator) learned from European elf-legend storybooks he was given as a child to learn Dutch, Netherlands"I liked to read storybooks and was influenced by ancient European elf legends" Kasing Lung, quote originally given to Hypebeast, relayed by TheArtGorgeous (also independently corroborated, near-verbatim, by Bangkok Post and VOI — see 05-bangkokpost-profile.md and 10-voi-id-profile.md)
- statedThe Monsters (Kasing Lung's Labubu series) learned from The Smurfs (Peyo's Belgian comic — its many-character universe)"When I was young, I used to watch The Smurfs on television – and you know the Smurfs, there are hundreds of them! That’s the reason why I wanted to create a big universe with a lot of monsters." Kasing Lung, in conversation with Bryan Yambao, Perfect Magazine (May 2025)
- statedKasing Lung (as a picture-book illustrator) learned from Edward Gorey (picture-book illustration as an emotionally serious medium)"His picture books were incredible and had a huge impact on me" Kasing Lung, quoted by Simon Au, GQ Hong Kong (Nov 2025)
- statedKasing Lung (painting practice) learned from Takashi Murakami / Kaikai Kiki Gallery"Takashi Murakami and KaiKai Kiki Gallery. Takashi has been supportive, especially for my work and paintings." Kasing Lung, in conversation with Bryan Yambao, Perfect Magazine (May 2025)
- statedKasing Lung learned from Jin Yong's wuxia novels (笑傲江湖 / The Smiling, Proud Wanderer)"The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (笑傲江湖) was my favourite because it wasn’t just an exciting story—it was filled with philosophy and life wisdom. I used to imagine myself being part of that world" Kasing Lung, quoted by Simon Au, GQ Hong Kong (Nov 2025)
The tradition it sits in
- statedThe Monsters (Kasing Lung's Labubu series) comes from Nordic mythology and European folklore"Labubu was born from my fascination with Nordic mythology and European folklore, which I was surrounded by while growing up in the Netherlands." Kasing Lung, in an email interview with io9/Gizmodo (Sabina Graves, May 2025)
- documentedThe Monsters (Kasing Lung's Labubu series) comes from Hong Kong's designer-toy movement (the "urban vinyl" scene Michael Lau founded in the mid-1990s)"Take Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung ’s series The Monsters and its product partnership with fellow Hong Kong company Pop Mart ." RADII (design journalism), framing The Monsters/Pop Mart as "the movement's future" — this is the outlet's editorial placement, not a genealogy claim made by Kasing Lung himself
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