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Kasing Lung's Labubus Take Over the Collectibles World
By Camilla Nguyen | 05 Jun, 2025
A Hong-Kong born, Belgium educated designer has created a global collectibles sensation with characters that are as mischievous as cuddly.
Remember Beanie Babies? There’s a new collectible in town.
If you’ve scrolled through social media or walked past a POP MART store recently, chances are you’ve seen Labubu. The mischievous plush figure with pointy ears and a devilish serrated grin is taking over timelines and shelves around the world.
Labubus (Photo: POP MART official website)
Behind Labubu is Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, whose fantasy world The Monsters is capturing global attention.
At the heart of The Monsters is Labubu, a chaotic yet kind-hearted character known for serrated smile and boundless energy. Labubu isn’t just a single character but rather a tribe, similar to the Smurfs. Labubus are female, except for the tribe leader, Labubu, who is male with his taller stature and rigid tail.
Lung revealed in an interview with Pop Mart that Papa Smurf’s leadership inspired their dynamic. Other characters include Labubu’s cute skeleton and plushy-boyfriend, and Labubu, meaning “special” in Elvish, a pastel pink heart-nosed plush released in minimal quantities.
Since an exclusive partnership with POP MART in 2019 Labubu has skyrocketed into a global collectible phenomenon with over 300 different iterations of the character. The plushies are sold via surprise boxes, typically priced between USD $25 to $45 depending on the series and rarity. For instance, the Have a Seat series is priced at $21.99 on POP MART's official U.S. site.
Limited Edition Labubu from the Macaron Vinyl Face Blind Box (Photo: POP MART official website)
Labubu surged in popularity when BLACKPINK’s Lisa shared a photo of herself holding one on Instagram. In response, Lung sent Lisa a mega Labubu, cementing the toy's cultural cachet.
Some American Collectors draw parellels between The Monsters and Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are. There is no official acknowledgement of that connection, but Lung showcased a special Labubu version of Max, the protagonist of Wild Things, during his solo exhibition at Paradise Toyland in Taiwan.
Kasing Lung began his career as a children’s book illustrator after moving to Belgium, where he became the first Chinese person to win the Illustration Award. His early works include a Chinese illustration book My Little Planet (2013), and Lizzy Wil Dansen (2014), the latter in collaboration with author Brigitte Minne.
Kasing Lung with a life-sized Labubu (Photo: Instagram / @kasinglung)
Lung moved to the Netherlands at the age of six, where he was inspired by Nordic folklore. It wasn’t until 2011 that Lung began collaborating with Hong Kong-based toy brand How2Work, releasing an illustrated storybook and his first line of collectible figures. In 2015 he brought his whimsical universe to life in The Monsters, a fantastical world of mischief.
Today, Lung divides his time between Belgium and Hong Kong, continuing to design and build new projects. But Labubu is more than just a collectible; it’s an evolving symbol of the intersection of art, collecting, psychology, and pop culture. Kasing Lung isn’t just designing toys; he’s redefining the future of collectibles and art.
Kasing Lung isn't just designing toys; he's redefining the future of collectibles and art.
Rosé of BLACKPINK poses with her grey Labubu plush in a sweet moment shared on her Instagram story. (Photo: Instagram / @roses_are_rosie)
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