Kelly Joy Ladd is a paper artist whose work explores our spiritual connection to the self, others and the universe. Ladd’s Liberal Studies degree allowed her the opportunity to explore a vast array of subjects, such as astronomy, physics and creative writing. During this time, she also discovered Eastern philosophies and meditation, which have been a major influence on her life and art practice. Health has also been a major factor in determining the course of Ladd’s practice over the years. She developed her own style and unique techniques using paper as her main medium due to her husband’s Lyme disease and his adverse health reactions to chemicals and paint. In March 2020, Ladd experienced a traumatic head injury that greatly affected her vision. Since then, she has been retraining her brain and eyes to refocus and track again. During her recovery, when she was unable to read, watch TV or look at screens, Ladd used this time – free from outside distractions or influences – to devote her full attention to her art and meditation practices. 

Ladd uses energy as a medium, just like she uses paper or glue to create her pieces. At the heart of her process lies the belief that energy is not only present in all things, but that it can consciously be harnessed and embedded into art. For over a decade, the artist has written sacred words – Love, Joy, Wonder, Kindness, Compassion, Gratitude, and Peace – onto her canvases before layering materials on the surface, allowing each word to serve as a vibrational anchor, a sort of unseen, yet omnipresent, force within the work. Though invisible to the eye, these energies pulse beneath the surface, subtly resonating with attuned viewers. 

Building upon this practice, the works in this exhibition expand into new realms of energetic infusion. From the physical energies of Earth, Fire, Water and Air to celestial and ancestral forces, as well as the seven sacred energies, Ladd intentionally places unseen frequencies into each piece through ritual acts – burning old journals on the winter solstice, collecting soil from ancestral lands, charging crystals under a full lunar cycle – she transforms ordinary materials into vessels of sacred experience. Each artwork in the exhibition serves a distinct purpose, whether honoring lineage and the memory held in soil (Sacred Earth), celebrating soul connections (Eternally Together), or reflecting the transformative journey of healing (Through the Fire, Reconnection to Self). Even the most personal pieces – like Self Portrait and Love, Kelly Joy – reach beyond the autobiographical to touch the universal, evoking themes of unconditional love, transition, healing and growth. 

Pursuing the theme of connection through every inch of her art practice, in 2022, Ladd created a project called “Artists on Couches” on Instagram. Each day, she connects with a different artist from around the world and asks them to share an insight about their personal art journey. Ladd considers these connections as part of her artistic practice and this project as an artwork itself. It is shaped by the collective energy of artists as they share personal reflections on the creativity that connects us all. Ultimately, Ladd’s entire body of work is a call to presence; asking us to slow down, feel deeply and reconnect – with ourselves, to each other, and to the vast, mysterious forces that surround and sustain us all.