| Kay George | |
| Birth Place: | Rotorua, New Zealand |
| Nationality: | New Zealand, Cook Islands |
| Known For: | painting, printing, photography |
| Style: | colourful collage of Cook Islands imagery |
| Spouse: | Ian George |
| Children: | Mīria George |
| Alma Mater: | Auckland University of Technology |
Kay George (born 1954, Rotorua, New Zealand) is a senior New Zealand and Cook Islands artist based in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. George is a major player in the development of the visual arts in the Cook Islands.[1]
George and her husband Ian George, also a notable artist himself, migrated to Rarotonga, Cook Islands from New Zealand so her husband can explore his family's heritage in the Cook Islands.[2] George and her husband ran an art gallery named The Art Studio for many years, (now Beluga Cafe), in Arorangi. The Art Studio was recognised as one of the leading galleries in the Pacific.[3]
In 1998, Ian George curated Paringa Ou, the first major exhibition of contemporary art by Cook Island artists residing in New Zealand featuring artists such as Ani O'Neill, Sylvia Marsters, Mahiriki Tangaroa, Michel Tuffery, Jim Vivieaere, Ian George, and Kay George, the exhibition travelled to the Fiji Museum, the Cook Islands National Museum, as well as the Gus Fisher Gallery in Auckland. The exhibition was partly sponsored by the New Zealand High Commission in Rarotonga.[4]
In 2008, She graduated Masters of Art and Design from Auckland University of Technology with Cook Islands scholarship.[5]
In 2018, celebrating 30 years since George's arrival to the Cook Islands, Bergman Gallery hosted her retrospective exhibition and 200 people attended the opening.[6]
Her work are exhibited internationally in Cook Islands, Australia, New Zealand, France, United States of America, New Caledonia and Fiji. Her stepdaughter Mīria George, is a New Zealand writer, producer and director.[7]