Joan Marie Kelly is a social artist whose creative research combines concepts of figure painting with ethnographic methodologies and concepts. She investigates art techniques as tools of communication with marginalized communities in Singapore, India and China. Her social art events may consist of sex workers and their children making art such as drawings, knitted pieces, photographs, and audio documentaries in the brothel. The context of the communities, are subjects of her own artworks.
Kelly is represented by The Blue Mountain Gallery New York City. Her solo exhibitions have taken place in USA and India. She participated in 6 International Biennale including Beijing and Casablanca. Her artworks are collected by The Ahuja Museum (India), Hua Xia Baosheng Art Museum China, and Mae Fah Luang Thai Royal Family. She has lectured at several institutions including Princeton University, Oberlin College, Maryland Institute College of Art, New Hampshire University, Smith College and The 2nd Izmir International Art Biennale, University of Massachusetts.