Watercolour on paper

20 × 28.5 cm. 7 7/8 × 11 1/4 in.

Titled and signed in English on the reverse
EXHIBITED
11 – 20 Nov 2016, The Monster, Paradise, Taipei

PROVENANCE
Paradise, Taipei
Acquired directly by present private Asian collector from the above

Since 2015, the Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung has collaborated with the top trendy toy maker Pop Mart, making Labubu a well-known character and spawning The Monsters. In 2020, Takashi Murakami invited Lung to hold a solo exhibition at Kaikai Kiki Gallery. Since then, he has been actively exhibiting in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Taipei, becoming highly sought after by collectors worldwide. Also included in The Monster, his 2016 solo exhibition, The Fly (Lot 107) is a humourous work showing Labubu travelling as a group, inviting the viewers to join them on a wondrous adventure.

Born in Spain in 1985, Okokume graduated from the Llotja Advanced School of Art and Design in Barcelona. Inspired by Japanese anime and American cartoons, she created Cosmic Girl with fluffy pink hair, blue-green skin, and starry eyes. She has held solo exhibitions in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Paris and Berlin, winning people's hearts with her utopian cartoon style and beautiful, dreamy colours.

The two artists share a love for monster-like cartoon characters, which led them to collaborate in a joint exhibition in 2019, The Monsters and the Cosmic Stars, allowing their characters to interact in a world they created together. In the same year, the characters were featured in the open exhibition of Cosmic Girl Café, which has become a popular photogenic destination for internet influencers. Untitled (Lot 108) is one of the 20 collaborative works shown in their 2019 joint exhibition, doubling the level of adorable charm and showcasing the genuine friendship between them.

Price estimate:
HKD: 20,000 – 40,000
USD: 2,600 - 5,100

Auction Result:
HKD: --