Acrylic on canvas

30 x 40 cm. 11 3/4 × 15 3/4 in.

EXHIBITED
3-25 Jun 2017, De Kleuren Monster- Kasing Lung Exhibition, Gallery by the Harbor, Hong Kong

PROVENANCE
Gallery by the Harbour, Hong Kong
Private Collection, Asia
9 Jun 2020, Sotheby's Hong Kong Contemporary Art Auction, Lot 2
Acquired directly by present private Asian collector from the above

This work is accompanied by an electronic purchase invoice issued by How2work, Hong Kong

Note: A label signed by the artist is affixed on the reverse

Philosophy in Fairy Tales
Kasing Lung's Utopia of Adorable Monsters

Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung moved to Netherland with his parents when he was a child. At the age of six, he started to create a variety of characters and stories with graffiti. In 2003, he won the championship of the Belgium Drawing Contest and received cooperation from the famous toy brand How2work and created the popular The Monsters in 2015, which was well received by the market. Takashi Murakami invited him to hold a solo exhibition at the Hidari Zingaro Gallery in Tokyo in 2020 and sign with Kaikai Kiki Gallery, which created a huge buzz in the world of art toys.

Song of the Forest

From the artist's first solo exhibition De Kleuren Monsters held at Harbour City in Hong Kong in 2017, From the Heart (Lot 3) features a toothy, half-human, half-lion monster named Pucà in the centre of the painting, leaping up from the bushes and leading all of his companions, including Labubu, who is holding on to his arrow-like tail and marching forward, composing a joyful rhapsody of the summer forest. The soft beige background of warm sunshine along with the leaves and branches was given a rhythm, in which the elves are dancing, creating a sweet vitality. The work breaks the stereotypical evil image of the elves, showing the goodness and peacefulness within.

Space Adventure of the Elves

Kasing Lung often uses astrophysical terminology to incorporate scenes from his imagination into his paintings. Terraforming (Lot 4) was exhibited in the artist's solo exhibition A State of Monsters in Thailand. Using ink and marker, he quickly scribbles the figure of Labubu drifting in the air: her long ears are alertly erected, arms and legs are tightly clasped in tension, and the space around is filled with astronomical terminologies in various directions, which displays her infinite imagination for outer space. Zimomo, wearing a baseball cap and standing on his tiptoes in the centre of the painting, with his tail curled up and his arms outstretched, is incredibly excited and confident. Meanwhile, his companions are in the square capsule on the left, with Tycoco's heads lined up on the right, telling their excitement about exploring the universe. The other work Eliminate (lot 5), depicts the elves preparing for a landing, backed by astrophysical theories, with the large word “KASING” exploding like a cyclone, sending the elves into space on a stream of air. The dots and lines at the top of the painting are in fact the “wormhole” from German scientist Einstein's theory in 1935, and the “Einstein-Rosen Bridge” written is a time tunnel. The elves in the centre of the painting are bursting and gathering at the exit of the “wormhole”, and through these fearless and adorable figures, Lung pays tribute to the great achievements of quantum physics in the past century.

Labubu's Monologue

“I prefer characters who are both good and evil. Although Labubu looks evil and sneaky, she is actually good at heart.”
——Kasing Lung

The Labubu sculpture (lot 6) presented is a childlike figure. She has nine snow-white fangs, and her distinctive long, slender ears stand out like horns. The fluffy brown fur covers her ears, and the colour extends to form reddish-brown cheeks, along with the little freckles on her face, which makes her even more charming. She stands on a marble base with her arms open, welcoming the world.

Price estimate:
HKD 100,000 – 200,000
USD 12,800 – 25,600

Auction Result:
HKD: 120,000