Kate Breakey was born in 1957 in Adelaide, South Australia. She has a undergraduate degree in Fine Arts from University of South Australia and a Masters of Fine Art from the University of Texas at Austin. She is also an author and teacher and has been awarded numerous art grants and awards. She currently resides in Tuscon, Arizona.

The Wittliff Gallery owns over 70 images from Kate Breakey. Her exhibit, Small Deaths, captures the beauty of small creatures. Each photograph is hand-painted and toned. Kate's first publication, Small Deaths, is the fifth publication in the Wittliff Gallery series with the University of Texas Press.