# At 62, the creator of Mr Kiasu is going to art school for the first time

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/at-62-the-creator-of-mr-kiasu-is-going-to-art-school-for-the-first-time/
- Published: 2026-11-07T13:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-07T14:25:04+00:00
- Original publisher: CNA (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna-insider/up-close/mr-kiasu-johnny-lau-cartoon-art-school-6497486
- Topics: Art, Culture, World

## Key points

- Mr Kiasu creator Johnny Lau, 62, has started art school.
- He received a scholarship for a two-year MFA.
- His new studies follow a career spanning nearly four decades.

## Summary

At 62, Johnny Lau, the creator of Singapore comic character Mr Kiasu, has returned to full-time study to pursue a Master of Fine Arts. The move marks a new chapter nearly four decades after his character became a familiar figure in Singapore, satirising the fear of missing out and the pursuit of success.

Lau received a National Arts Council scholarship for the two-year course at the University of Arts Singapore, which he began in August. He taught himself to draw as a child and wanted to make comics, but studied architecture at his parents’ urging; he later worked as an architect before building his career as a cartoonist.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.