18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
‘Tabubu' Labubu toys by US tattoo artist take social media by storm
Ever since Lisa of K-pop girl group Blackpink posted her Labubu on Instagram in April 2024, there has been a global frenzy over the ugly-cute soft toys created by Hong Kong-born artist Lung Ka-sing a decade ago.
Now, a new kind of Labubu is hitting the market.
Tattoo artist Hunter Chao is adding his personal touch to these cuddly, sharp-toothed monsters and reselling them as 'Tabubu' toys.
Chao, 27, who was born in the US state of California to Taiwanese parents, also posts Labubu content online, making unboxing videos in collaboration with
mainland Chinese toy retailer Pop Mart
A Tabubu by Hunter Chao. Photo: Hunter Chao
Chao is no stranger to collectibles. In his teenage years, he would collect plush toys from claw machines. As an adult, he started collecting
blind box figurines from Pop Mart, which has multiple physical locations in the United States.
