TO!

KASING LUNG (B. 1972)

TO!

acrylic on canvas

31 1/2 x 23 2/3 inches (80 x 60 cm)

Painted in 2021.

PROVENANCE:

Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd., Tokyo

Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2022

NOTES:

Born in 1972 in Hong Kong, Kasing Lung lives and works in Belgium. An illustrator and painter, Lung is internationally recognized for his vivid and imaginative universe populated by whimsical characters that blur the line between mischief and innocence. After beginning his career as a children’s book illustrator, he transitioned to painting, expanding his practice into expressive, large-scale works. He is best known for creating Labubu, the mischievous, bear-like creature that has achieved cult status in contemporary toy and art culture. Through these characters, Lung merges the wonder of childhood with the unease of the subconscious, constructing worlds where humor and emotion coexist.

Drawing inspiration from folklore, comics, and street art, Lung combines the immediacy of drawing with the physicality of painting. His works burst with color, gesture, and movement, reflecting both joy and chaos. Beneath their playful exteriors lies an emotional complexity—his fantastical figures become mirrors of human feeling, embodying fear, curiosity, and imagination.

TO!, painted in 2021, epitomizes Lung’s exuberant visual language. At its center appears Zimono, the regal and enigmatic king of the Labubus, grinning with jagged teeth and gleaming yellow eyes. Presented in vivid orange, Zimono presides over a storm of color as pinks, blacks, and oranges collide across the canvas in a frenzy of line and motion. Scribbled shapes, zigzags, and the word “KING” assert his commanding presence, animating the surface with restless energy. Both chaotic and deliberate, TO! celebrates the collision of fantasy and emotion that defines Lung’s art, transforming the mischievous spirit of his characters into a vibrant meditation on creativity itself.