Drie Chapek grew up in a life of transition and movement as a child from divorced parents whom each moved every two years across many states. Perspectives from the airplane as well as the road created views of connectivity across multiple homes and towns. Before graduating with a BA from the University of Kansas, where she studied with Roger Shimomura, Chapek was given a full scholarship to study abroad in Stoke-on-Trent, England in 2001. It was there, that she learned she had a deep desire to create visionary work to find a language that could talk about transformation within the human experience.

The sudden death of their second child proved great practice to Drie’s painting theory. Turning ideas of ways to live close to the space that moves between life and death into a reality. A Joanna Macy intensive workshop around using grief as a motor to drive change gave power to concept in 2011. Drie studied with Char Sundust, learning the Lakota way to soulful awareness and connection through the natural world. She and her family cold swim, climb, surf, backpack and row the Pacific Northwest. She and her husband raised their children without screens or phones at home.

While backpacking the wild Pacific Northwest Drie takes comfort in observing the presence of erosion on the land. It acts as a reminder of the vast time that the landscape has been transforming. She is made aware of the ancient history of the Earth as her own personal transformations are momentary.

The richness of enjoying their three living children alongside losses and unforeseen challenges around raising a child with disabilities, has provided fodder for painting. From 2013 to 2020 she was taught by Rosemary White OTR/L, how to use Play Therapy to engage her autistic son in connecting and learning. Growing his world through imaginative play also rewired Drie’s painting world. Drie has worked with Somatic trained therapists since 2015, learning about the powerful awareness of the nervous system and the effect of changing anxious patterns into soothed calm patterns. Drie brings these learned techniques into the rhythm of her painting as well as the concepts.

Some select group shows are “Through the Light, The Sublime in Contemporary Northwest Art” The Museum of Northwest Art, La Connor, Wa. “Women of the Pacifc Northwest” at the Bo Bartlett Center in Columbus Georgia. “Jackson Short List” Bankside Gallery, London, England. In New York, NY with The Visionary Projects at the Anderson Contemporary, “It’s Time to Slow Down”. “Napa Collects”, Bedside Gallery, Napa, CA. Previous group shows have included “Vivid Vibrations” Visionary Project, The Yard, Brooklyn, NY; “A Body Among Bodies" Kirkland Arts Center, Kirkland, WA and “Seattle Contemporary Artists” Relish Magazine, Seattle, WA

Some recent solo shows have been 2025 “It’s All Happening” I.e. gallery, Edison, Wa as well as 2024 “Inside the Outside” Greg Kucera Gallery, Seattle, Washington. 2022 “A Way” i.e. Gallery, Edison, Wa. 2021 “Churning” and 2019 “In the Quiet” with Greg Kucera Gallery Seattle, WA and 2019 “Soul Juice” I.E. Gallery Edison, WA. 2014 “Emote” 2010 “Expression” with Zeitgeist, Seattle WA.

Drie Chapek has been working and showing in the Seattle area since 2002.