Happy Birthday Hello Kitty: Luke Chueh Explains Why He Thinks the Character is More Than Bear-able

There are many artists who have provided visual tributes to the grand dame of Sanrio's beloved character collection, Hello Kitty. Luke Chueh is one such artist, whose vision of the kitty turned out to have a lot to do with a bear. LAist found out a bit about Chueh's take on the icon and the meaning of his piece, which is part of the Three Apples space set up at Royal/T, where Hello Kitty's 35th Birthday is being celebrated through November 15th.

LAist: Why do you think Hello Kitty is so popular?

I think Hello Kitty's success is the direct results of her graphic approachability, coupled with the choices Sanrio has made concerning the way her image has been used and distributed around the world.

Tell us about your piece for the Three Apples show

When conceiving the design of my bear character, I referenced Hello Kitty's design. I specifically chose Hello Kitty due to her timeless design aesthetic, which I attribute to her minimalism. So, like Hello Kitty, I use three dots (indicating eyes and nose) with my bear's facial features. This is why in the painting when my bear character takes off his face, it to reveals Hello Kitty, one of the foundations for the bears appearance.

Lindsay William-Ross contributed to this post.