Labubu, or the portrait of a phenomenon

In the continuity of his series devoted to pets, toys, and affective figures such as dogs, cats or Furbys, Charles Hascoët turns his attention here to a new subject: Labubu. This small character, emblematic of recent Asian pop culture, oscillates between childlike mascot, object of compulsive desire, and symbol of a globalized "cute" aesthetic. A true social phenomenon, Labubu has sparked scenes of frenzy around the world. From Paris to Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok, certain product launches have led to stampedes, extreme tension, and even riots. What began as a toy has transformed into a trigger for collective obsession.

Rather than representing this frenzy, Hascoët takes the opposite approach. He shows Labubu alone, centered on the canvas, facing us, perfectly still. The warm-toned background isolates the character and elevates it to the status of a contemplative figure. It is no longer about collection or commerce, but about presence. Labubu becomes a model, worthy of the same pictorial attention as the cats, dogs or domestic objects the artist so often paints. The emotion is there, subtle and suspended, somewhere between gentle humor and a strange sense of gravity.

This work extends a line of inquiry Hascoët has pursued for several years. He questions our intimate relationship with the objects and figures that populate our everyday lives. He paints what we choose to love, what we cling to without always knowing why. The toy becomes a revealer, a surface for projection, a mirror of our vulnerabilities. With minimal means and striking tonal precision, the artist captures something essential here: the enduring presence of childhood within the adult world, this diffuse need for comfort, this anxious tenderness we place in mute forms.

By giving shape to Labubu, Hascoët is not simply illustrating a trend. He captures its emotional resonance and reveals its symbolic power. His painting, free of irony and over-interpretation, invites us to reconsider these ordinary objects that, for some mysterious reason, come to occupy an outsized place in our lives.