Exhibition - Monsters by Monsters: Now and Then – Celebrating 10 Years of Labubu in a Unique Paris Exhibition

By Mulder, Paris, Hôtel Grand Veneur, 04 march 2026

From today until March 29, 2026, Paris is hosting a particularly symbolic stage of the world tour celebrating ten years of The Monsters universe, created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung. Housed in the elegant setting of the Hôtel du Grand Veneur, at 60 rue de Turenne in the heart of the Marais, the exhibition Monsters by Monsters: Now and Then (The Present and the Future) offers a true immersion into the visual and narrative universe that gave birth to one of the most recognizable creatures in contemporary designer toy culture: Labubu. Organized by POP MART in collaboration with How2work, this Parisian stage follows presentations in Shanghai, Taipei, and Hong Kong, confirming the international scope of the phenomenon. Far from being limited to a simple presentation of figurines, the exhibition offers a true retrospective journey retracing ten years of artistic creation and cultural evolution around this universe born in 2015.

From the very first rooms, visitors are struck by the resolutely artistic nature of the exhibition. Many might expect a simple showroom dedicated to collectible figurines, but the scenography takes an approach closer to that of a contemporary art gallery. Spread over seven rooms, the exhibition combines original drawings, paintings, sculptures, illustrated books, and collectible figurines to trace Kasing Lung's creative evolution. The staging is deliberately understated, almost minimalist, in order to give pride of place to the works and characters. This approach works particularly well, as it allows visitors to understand that the world of Labubu is not simply a derivative product, but rather the extension of a true artistic and narrative work. There is a shop at the end of the exhibition for fans who want to take home a collector's figurine, but it remains discreet and never distracts from the artistic focus of the exhibition.

At the center of this retrospective is, of course, Labubu, instantly recognizable thanks to his nine distinctive teeth, pointed ears, and mischievous yet slightly unsettling smile. This character has become the emblematic figure of The Monsters, a universe populated by elf-like creatures that inhabit landscapes inspired by Nordic forests. The origin of this imaginary world can be traced back to the illustrated books that Kasing Lung published in 2015, which were heavily influenced by the tales and illustrations of Northern Europe that marked his childhood. Born in Hong Kong in 1972, raised in Utrecht in the Netherlands before settling in Antwerp, Kasing Lung has developed a unique aesthetic that blends European and Asian influences. This cultural hybridization is strongly felt in the exhibition, which combines the atmosphere of Nordic tales with the distinctive expressiveness of Asian character design.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the exhibition is the presentation of preparatory sketches and drawings, some of which are being shown to the public for the first time. These documents offer a glimpse behind the scenes of Kasing Lung's creative process, revealing how the exaggerated expressions and unusual proportions of the characters take shape on paper before becoming sculpted objects. Visitors can observe the variations in Labubu's expressions, the experimentation with proportions, and the initial attempts that led to the character's now iconic silhouette. This provides a better understanding of what makes Labubu's aesthetic so unique: the paradoxical combination of childlike gentleness and visual strangeness, often described as a balance between cute and creepy, which largely explains collectors' attachment to him.

A timeline also traces the collaboration between Kasing Lung and the creative studio How2work, which played an essential role in transforming the illustrated characters into designer toy figurines. While the first explorations in this field date back to the early 2010s, it was really from 2019 onwards that The Monsters universe began to expand internationally thanks to a partnership with POP MART, the Chinese company founded in 2010 in Beijing by Wang Ning. The brand quickly established itself as a major player in the designer toy market thanks to its distribution model based on the famous “blind boxes,” surprise boxes that transform the act of purchasing into an experience combining chance, rarity, and collecting. This system has greatly contributed to the global craze surrounding Labubu, creating a true collecting culture fueled by surprise and the search for rare pieces.

Through this success, Labubu has gradually become much more than just a figurine. In several Asian countries, the character has established itself as a true cultural symbol, appearing on fashion accessories, bags, and even in collectors' posts on social media. Some enthusiasts even consider certain limited editions to be genuine lucky charms or talismans. The Paris exhibition perfectly illustrates this transformation of the designer toy, once confined to a niche collector's market, into a cross-cultural phenomenon that now dialogues with contemporary art, fashion, and global visual culture. In this context, Paris appears to be a particularly fitting setting for this retrospective, as the French capital has always had a special relationship with hybrid objects that straddle the boundary between art and popular culture.

The exhibition also showcases all the figurines released since 2015, offering an impressive overview of the character's visual evolution over the years. Some variations explore seasonal or narrative themes, while others venture into more experimental aesthetic directions. Seeing them all together in one place allows visitors to appreciate the breadth of the universe developed around Labubu and the richness of its visual vocabulary. Even for visitors unfamiliar with the designer toy scene, the quality of the sculptures and the precision of the details immediately attract attention, revealing the care taken with each piece.

Despite a relatively limited number of explanatory labels, the exhibition remains surprisingly accessible. The visual narrative is enough to understand the broad outlines of the universe imagined by Kasing Lung, while the simple but effective scenography perfectly showcases the works. Children will naturally be attracted by the colors and playful aspect of the figurines, while lovers of contemporary art and pop culture will enjoy discovering the creative process behind the phenomenon. An immersive area dedicated to Labubu stuffed animals also adds a more playful dimension to the exhibition, contrasting with the more contemplative spaces devoted to the original works.

Monsters by Monsters: Now and Then functions both as an artistic retrospective and as a testament to a broader cultural shift. In just a decade, designer toys have gone from a niche market to an influential creative industry, capable of engaging with fashion, art, and new forms of collecting. Through the world of Kasing Lung, this exhibition perfectly captures this evolution while celebrating the uniqueness of a character born in the pages of picture books before becoming a global icon. For visitors to the Marais this month, whether they are Labubu fans, contemporary art lovers, or simply curious, this exhibition is undoubtedly one of the most original and appealing cultural outings of the Parisian spring.

You can discover our photos in our Flickr account : here and here

Practical information:
Dates: March 4 to March 29, 2026
Opening hours: 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Address: 60 Rue de Turenne, 75003, Paris
Online ticket office: https://www.popmart.com/fr/exhibit/detail/4vCZ2fjGxq

(Source: press release)