Artist: Lichiban

Artist Statement
Situated at the intersection of pop surrealism and fantasy art, though defying limitations, Lichiban’s work explores the concept of “shapeshifting” as a symbolic representation of the human potential to transform into other entities through the use of the imagination. Visionary and subversive, playful and esoteric, her body of work creates a new hybrid taxonomy that merges human with animal, man with machine, terrestrial with outer space creatures. Her works convey a sense of longing and magnetism intended to invite the spectators to experience themselves as imaginary characters in a world of galactic feline superheroes, time-traveling samurais and tribal warriors, gods and goddesses, nature spirits, shapeshifting mystics, tricksters, outsiders, galactic explorers or iconic pop figures.

Her subjects are the architects of a larger mythological universe she aims to manifest through the use of various media ranging from her signature studio work on wood, murals, prints, videos or animations. She has taken on the challenge to create a unique visual language that is iconic and charged with metaphysical meaning drawing inspiration from dream memories, elements of tribal & religious art & writings, comics & animations, symbolism, surrealism, erotic illustration and street art. Her passion for music, erotica and the mystical sciences reflects vividly in her work.

Her Story
Lichiban is a Brooklyn-based self-taught visual artist, illustrator, art director, curator, and full time creative hustler. She was born in a border city in Hungary and from early on she acquired a fascination with borders, limits and ambiguous dividing lines; her experiences on the margins of cities, countries and subcultures eventually formed into a semi-consistent life philosophy, which continues to inspire her creative development. Her images draw inspirations from a wide range of extraordinary life experiences and impressions, such as her childhood memories of folktales, comic books and animations, her studies in Sufism & Buddhist Tantrism, her travels to war-torn countries (Bosnia, Kashmir, Eastern Turkey), her volunteer work with refugees and trauma victims and from meeting exceptional people. Her experiences led her to a deep appreciation for people and their stories, which expresses itself best in her love for faces. Most recently, she has been working on developing a number of feline superheroes to visually narrate her mystical mythology. She has exhibited her work in New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Minneapolis, and in Wilmington and has been leaving her trace around at various live art events in New York City. She has been featured in Younity’s HEART & SOUL Book, Brooklyn Community Access TV, CLAM Magazine, TRACE Magazine blog, Liberating Style Magazine, PEP! Magazine blog, Leisure LAB, Wishtank, Dope Swan, Readconvention, Limite Magazine and Boys & Clothes Magazine, among others.

WS: lichiban.net

View all work on this site by this artist »