Kalli Bednarz is an artist and visual archaeologist whose work explores the intersection of spiritual channeling, energetic embodiment, and ancient iconography. Her practice serves as a method for understanding and expressing what her body experiences on an energetic level, while also documenting the mysterious and universal qualities of the iconographic information she receives during meditative states. She draws inspiration from figures like Frederick Bligh Bond the early 20th-century archaeologist who used spiritual channeling to guide his excavations at Glastonbury Abbey and Carolyn Boyd an artist turned archaeologist whose work has led to connecting with shamans in deciphering the iconography of the White Shaman Mural.

Kalli earned her BFA in Visual Arts from Ball State University. In 2020, during life drawing sessions at the Lafayette Atelier, she began to consciously refine her sensitivity to energy. These sessions revealed her ability to paint not only the physical form of her models but also their energetic fields. This discovery catalyzed her deeper exploration into spiritual traditions and ancient healing practices.

Her creative process begins with meditation, during which she attunes to ancient/historic landmarks and excavation sites. Iconographic shapes are sensed during these sessions. She sketches these impressions repetitively, allowing a distinct visual language to develop. From there, her work takes one of two forms:

The first method is a contemporary adaptation of the fresco secco technique, combining plaster, acrylic gesso, and watercolor ground on to unstretched canvas or paper. This approach enables her to create large-scale, immersive experiences for viewers to be transported into imaginative archaeological landscapes with thick textures that mimic old crumbling walls and caves

The second method involves painting on fabric to mimic raw hide or a natural surface. These pieces are loosely hung like textile or stretched over frames. These works encourage physical movement around the piece, inviting viewers to visually "dig" mirroring the process of experiencing an archaeological discovery for oneself.

Kalli’s practice is deeply informed by conversations with archaeologists and her own visits to ancient sites like Machu Picchu, Chichén Itzá, and the Roman Baths. These experiences have affirmed her belief that both artist and archaeologist share the role of uncovering hidden histories and interpreting the unseen. Her recent series, Bath Spa, was inspired by her time connecting to the energies of the Roman Baths in England that was exhibited at Factory Arts District in Indianapolis, Dec 2024.

Kalli’s ongoing exploration is centered on how we can work with unseen energies and information embedded in ancient and historic spaces to reclaim lost knowledge and forgotten history.