Today we’d like to introduce you to Aniko Szatmari.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born in Hungary, where from an early age I explored every form of self-expression—dance, singing, drawing, poetry recitation—but visual art was always my true home. I also loved books, especially folk tales and mythology, which continue to feed my art today. At 18 I reached a crossroads: pursue art professionally or take what felt like a “safer” path. Because of my deep love for spirituality and mystical traditions (Neoplatonic, Sufi, Hermetic, early and Renaissance Christian), I chose to study them in college with the idea of becoming a scholar. This period was essential to my spiritual evolution—I immersed myself in ancient wisdom, traveled to places where these traditions still lived, and learned from their living lineages.
But eventually I realized that while study fed my soul, academia as a profession did not. The artist within me was calling, so I moved to New York City and threw myself into the art scene as a painter. Living in Brooklyn, I found an incredible creative environment that allowed me to develop my voice and thrive in an amazing, loving community. I was a member of A.L.I.E.N NYC, a legendary underground artist collective, curated shows and took photos of the art scene to document our collective journey.
It was during this time that I developed Katapulko, my pop-art universe of alien feline spiritual superheroes. My work was exhibited in galleries and museums across the U.S., and I thrived in the vibrant energy of NYC.
After five years, I started longing for more nature, a slower pace of life, and a warmer climate. Naturally, Los Angeles came to mind as a new place to explore because it seemed to have all those, alongside a thriving creative scene. Here, my practice expanded beyond painting into photography, digital media, and now AI art—always guided by the same thread: the exploration of myth, spirit, and light as living forces in our world.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has been filled with adventures, but also with challenges and hard lessons. Each move—from Hungary to New York, from New York to Los Angeles—reset my life. Learning a new language, building community from scratch, stepping into new creative roles—these were both challenging and liberating. There were moments of loneliness, financial instability, and even feeling stripped of my identity.
But through deep shadow work and soulwork, I began to see my challenges not as punishments, but as purifications. Each difficulty was a fire that revealed my “inner diamond.” The most empowering shift was realizing that I create my reality—every part of it, light and shadow. That awareness dissolved victimhood and allowed me to reclaim my power.
Trauma can trap us in cycles of anger, self-justification, or exceptionalism. I recognized that pattern in myself, and chose to step out of it. Holding onto victimhood only keeps us bound to the past. My journey taught me that true empowerment is not “fighting for” freedom but embodying it, here and now, as our natural birthright.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As an artist and photographer Lichiban, I’m known for creating soulful, light-infused images that carry both intimacy and a sense of the mythic. My commercial work blends fashion, lifestyle, and editorial photography. I’ve had the privilege of working with legendary artists like Keke Palmer, Miguel, Bilal, Tekitha, O.N.E The Duo, and V Bozeman. I also love product photography, especially gold jewelry, where I channel my fine art background into editorial storytelling. When bridging fine art with commercial work, one of my favorite artists, Laszlo Moholy Nagy, is my biggest inspiration.
My personal work is where my mythology comes alive. Through painting, photography, and digital/AI art, I explore the intersection of storytelling, pop culture, spirituality, and futurism. Light is my central medium and metaphor—it connects inner and outer worlds, physical and spiritual realms. My Katapulko universe of feline spiritual superheroes embodies this vision and often infuses my projects, sometimes overtly, sometimes as subtle atmosphere.
But beyond my art & photography, I founded Studio LXR, a design and brand storytelling studio. Before I started my own agency, I’ve worked as a member of the marketing team for a large tech company, where I learned to always think strategically with the brand’s business goals in mind when approaching a design challenge. A beautiful site alone will not get you top results. What I offer when a client approaches me with a website design project is a holistic understanding of what it takes to create a site that gets lucrative results (e.g. brand positioning and strategy, SEO, lead generation, email marketing, social media marketing, etc).
Studio LXR was born from the belief that every brand has a frequency—a living essence that wants to be seen, felt, and remembered. Traditional branding often stops at visuals and messaging, but I sensed something deeper was missing: the soul. From that, our Brand Archetype SoulWork™ process emerged. It’s a novel approach to branding and brand strategy with a fusion of mythology, psychology, and design that helps clients uncover the archetypal forces shaping their vision. Instead of “targeting” audiences, we focus on creating resonance with aligned audiences—attracting the people who naturally vibe with the brand’s true essence.
What sets us apart is this holistic lens: we don’t just make things look good—we help brands feel true to their essence. My background in both fine art and corporate marketing allows me to merge strategy with soul, so our clients receive not just beautiful visuals but systems that generate real results. I’m most proud of being able to weave these different worlds into a practice that helps both people and brands shine with coherence and authenticity.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
So many! A few that have been especially nourishing recently:
Books: Living with Joy by Sanaya Roman, Basic Practices of the Universal Healing Tao by Mantak Chia, and Ask and It Is Given by Abraham-Hicks. These keep me aligned with joy, energy cultivation, and conscious creation.
Podcasts: I enjoy Bijan Machen’s Abundance Universe, Erin Lyons’ show, as well as conversations with teachers like Mantak Chia, Robert Edward Grant, Matthias De Stefano, Billy Carson, David Ghiyam, Anthony Williams, and Bashar to name a few. Professionally, I learn a lot from The Futur.
Apps: I experiment daily with creative AI tools; most recently with apps like Nano Banana, MidJourney, and Leonardo. For design, Adobe Suite remains my foundation, but Canva’s speed and versatility make it invaluable. As a frequent traveler, Google Translate is a must—it makes real conversation possible across languages, and it comes handy with deciphering foreign scripts.
Each of these tools—books, voices, or apps—helps me stay in the flow of curiosity, creativity, and conscious alignment.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.studiolxr.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lichiban/?hl=en
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikoszatmari/
- Twitter: https://x.com/lichiban
- Other: https://www.lichiban.com
Image Credits
All photography and AI image credits: @Lichiban @StudioLXR
