Artist, born 1970

Charles Kay Jr. is a first generation Thai-American artist. His parents immigrated from Thailand in 1966 to attend university. Charles was born and raised in Omaha Nebraska. In 1992 Charles graduated from Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA.

He has lived in Los Angeles, Paris, Minneapolis and New York before moving back to Omaha in 1996. His work has been exhibited at the Denver International Airport, The Center for Fine Art Fort Collins, Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, The Anne Reed Gallery, Gilman
Contemporary, Clic Gallery and Nelson Macker Fine Art. Awards include The Hasselblad Award, American Photography Artist Showcase, Pilsner Urquell International Photography Award, Aperture West Book Prize, Prixe de la Photographie, OEAA Outstanding New Media UNSEEN and OEAA Outstanding Solo Show UNSEEN.

Charles has been known for his black and white architectural series titled Paris Still Lifes which is included in the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Centers permanent collection. From October 2022 - May 2023 he exhibited “UNSEEN - Emerging from the Currents of Assimilation” at the KANEKO Museum in Omaha NE.