Kai Blakley (b. 1989) is an American Documentary Artist currently dedicated to creating sequential, sensory time capsules of contemporary life in Northwestern Indiana —The Region. His practice moves beyond traditional photography, integrating B&W still images with field audio recordings to construct enduring archives rooted in atmosphere and human presence.
Inspired by the observational patience and poetic layering of filmmakers like Chris Marker, Blakley’s work focuses on the subjective experience of place, aiming to evoke a visceral, timeless nostalgia for the present moment.
He is currently working on The Duneland Archive: an ongoing mixed media project centered on the complex identity, enduring spirit, and changing landscape of The Region and it’s inhabitants. Kai Blakley holds an MFA in Documentary Media from Northwestern University and has over 10 years of experience working behind the camera.