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.

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 capture not only the physical form of her models but also their energetic fields through watercolor. This discovery catalyzed her deeper exploration into spiritual traditions and ancient healing practices.

Her creative process begins with meditation, during which she attunes to the space and surrounding energies. Iconographic forms—symbols that feel both ancient and universal—often emerge or 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 is a contemporary adaptation of the fresco secco technique, combining plaster, acrylic gesso, and watercolor ground on unstretched canvas. This approach enables her to create immersive, large-scale pieces that evoke the experience of exploring a sacred archaeological site.

The second involves painting on raw cotton or linen, which is either loosely hung 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.

Kalli’s practice is deeply informed by conversations with archaeologists and her visits to ancient sites such as Machu Picchu, Chichén Itzá, and the Roman Baths. These experiences have affirmed her belief that both artists and archaeologists 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 and was exhibited in December 2024 at the Factory Arts District in Indianapolis.

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