Christen Mattix was born in Seattle in 1977 and grew up in Thailand. This bicultural experience shaped her into a catalyst for community. At the age of 17, she moved to Bellingham, WA and later studied painting and art history at Western Washington University where she received a BFA. In 2005, Mattix received an MFA in painting and film from the San Francisco Art Institute. Christen Mattix now lives in Mount Vernon, WA and is currently enrolled in the Modern Color Atelier through Gage Art Academy.

Christen has worked in oil, acrylic, fiber art, book arts, and writing. Her work is about breathing spaces--the value of rest, play, and doing “nothing.” Mattix’s joyful murals adorn a busy street (City of Burlington, WA) and an elementary school (Mount Vernon, WA). She has exhibited throughout the region including at The Bainbridge Island Art Museum, The Whatcom Museum, Smith and Vallee, the Museum of Northwest Art, PeaceHealth, and SAM Gallery. Mattix also authored Skein, a memoir about transforming a Bellingham neighborhood through a three-year fiber installation. Mattix has taught fine art at Western Washington University, the Frye Art Museum, Seattle Pacific University, and Pratt Fine Art Center.  www.christenmattix.com