Biography

Isabella Linkous is a folk-craft fine artist born in the Jewel of the Clinch River, Tazewell, VA, and is currently living, working, and studying in Radford, VA. She enjoys when the trees become green again, birding, and studying local flora and fauna, specifically bugs. She is a bona fide bug and bird expert.

She is influenced by the works of Kafka, and existentialists alike. Her works comprise of local flora and fauna and themes of life, death, and rebirth, all central to the Appalachian region where she was raised. She likes to focus on the obscurity and often grotesque elements of nature and capture the colors, textures, and forms in her woodburns and felt sculptures.

Artist Statement

Ever since I was younger, I have always had a fascination with the creatures and plants of the local region. And with age this fascination has only grown more potent. I seek solace and comfort in the natural and sometimes unsettling environment around me by paying attention to the beings that are often overlooked and how they all interact and correspond with one another. 

With my work I will be focusing on the flora, fauna, and folklore of Appalachia. I create pieces that depict certain aspects of nature I observe. Specifically, aspects that have esoteric meanings and symbolism of life, death, and rebirth. My work is also laden with the folklore that has been bound to the subjects by hearsay and hand-me-down knowledge. My work is intimate, each piece is like a small addition to a personal collection of cherished and worshiped objects.   

Every time I have journeyed into the outdoors seeking solace, every time I saw a new plant and wondered what it was, every time I felt utterly consumed by my discoveries, all and more have led me here, lead me to feel this urge to document what I have observed. 

Every year I start bird watching in early spring, I have native plants with the intention of providing for them. I observe them interacting with these plants. I take note of the composition, the color, and the behavior. I watch them fly and eat. I hear their calls, see the intricacies in their ways of communication, and make connections. I know what they like, what they don’t like, the power struggles and personalities between them all. I know their nesting behavior. I even know when it's about to rain because of where they go, and what time of day it is based on which birds are out.  I also garden a lot so it's essential to know what bugs are around my plants and how they interact. I know which bugs interact negatively with the plants aka garden pests which are some of my favorites to focus on due to their reputations. But it's also interesting to discover and know the oddities of the garden as well. This I have come to know could be plants and bugs. I know a lot about plants, specifically their medicinal uses. I also know which plants are beneficial and which are harmful to the flora and fauna, as well as people. 

I know all these creatures and plants so much and there is so much absurdness to it, so much that most people don’t know and may never know and that’s one reason I am creating these works, to be able to document and capture the elaborate existence and correspondence between these subjects. There are also many things I don’t know about the subject just like there are thousands of bugs that have yet to be discovered, bugs that you and I may have seen, may have looked at for just a moment before moving on to something else. 

I intend for my work to incapsulate this feeling of discovery, this feeling of the unknown and often mystical natural world of Appalachia and present how its subjects have been cared for, revered, and included and passed down in lore that had caused them to be solidified in the living, breathing soul of Appalachia. 

2023-2024

Nostalgia: Mini Museum Student Art Show, McConnell Library, Radford, VA

September 26, 2023- January 2024

Radford University Carilion Art Loan, Roanoke Community Hospital, Roanoke, VA

May 2023- May 2024

2023

Halloween Spooktacular IV, Radford University Covington Center, Radford, VA

October 27th 2023

Radford Art Show, Radford Art Museum, Tyler Gallery, Radford, VA

June 5- August 5, 2023

“Field Folklore”

Senior BFA Studio Show, Radford Art Museum, Tyler Gallery, Radford, VA

April 21- April 29, 2023

Preview Thesis Show, Ross Student Gallery, Radford University Library, Radford, VA

February 28- March 18, 2023

Super Duper Juried Student Show, Radford Art Museum, Tyler Gallery, Radford, VA

February 1- February 18, 2023

Exhibitions