Acrylic on canvas

29 × 41 cm. 11 3/8 × 16 1/8 in.

Signed in English on bottom right

LITERATURE
2017, De Kleuren Monsters— Kasing Lung Exhibition 2017 Poster, Gallery by the Harbor, Hong Kong
EXHIBITED
3-25 Jun 2017, De Kleuren Monsters―― Kasing Lung Exhibition, Gallery by the Harbor, Hong Kong

PROVENANCE
How2Work, Hong Kong
Private Collection, Japan

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

Utopia of Adult Fairy Tales
Kasing Lung's Elf Wonderland

In 2015, a “Labubu” with fangs and long ears and its group of elven companions were introduced and swept the entire world of art toys. It came from the wonderful hand of Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung. Living in the Netherlands since he was 6 years old, he learned Dutch from reading a lot of children's picture books, which later deeply influenced his art creation. In 2010, he launched a Pop art doll series, which started the “blind box” trend. In 2020, he was invited by Takashi Murakami to hold a solo exhibition at the Kaikai Kiki Gallery in Tokyo, making him an instant hit in the art world.The works presented in this exhibition, Le Kleuren Monsters (Lot 3) and Sweet Dreamer (Lot 4), were representative of Lung's first solo exhibition Le Kleuren Monsters held in Hong Kong in 2017.

Rules for Survival in the Adult World

Le Kleuren Monsters depicts an arena for the creatures. In the centre of the picture, the main character Labubu is fighting a giant dinosaur with horns. Although Labubu appears to be weak in front of him, his face shows fearless. The colours are rich, but it also conveys Long's profound creative concept: He uses the innocence of a fairy tale to show the code of survival for adults, outlining a real-world where childish playfulness and cruel competition coexist.

Glittering Sweet Dreams

The Sweet Dreamer, which was completed in 2017, features Puca, a lion, who is the opposite of the lion's fierce and aggressive stereotype. It presents gentle and charming. The spring flowers, summer frogs, autumn leaves, and winter snow all melt together in the same space and time - a utopia where all creatures dance together, reflecting the flow of the seasons and the joy of life, and shining through the sweet dream.

Price estimate:
HKD: 100,000 - 150,000
USD: 12,700 - 19,100

Auction Result:
HKD: 288,000