Artist Linda Sok pictured alongside her work. Photo by Caro Meliones, courtesy of of Brattleboro Museum and Art Center.

For artist Linda Sok, memory and materiality are linked. Through her practice as a fiber-based sculptor, she explores her Cambodian cultural heritage in objects of incisive poignancy. On view through November 1, 2026, Linda is the subject of an intimate solo exhibition at Brattleboro Museum and Art Center in Brattleboro, Vermont. Curated by Emily Alesandrini, the show is an opportunity to explore the compelling work of an internationally acclaimed maker.

An installation view from Linda Sok’s solo exhibition *Warped Archive*. Photo by Erin Jenkins, courtesy of Brattleboro Museum and Art Center.

Linda splits her time between Sydney, Australia and Providence, Rhode Island. She earned a BS in Psychology, History, and Philosophy of Science at the University of Sydney in 2015 and went on to complete a BFA from the University of New South Wales Art & Design in 2018, receiving First Class Honours and the University Medal in Fine Arts. In 2025 Linda earned her MFA in Sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design.

Her work has been featured in more than fifty shows including exhibitions in Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Denmark. In the States her work has been shared in Asheville, Boston, Indianapolis, New Haven, New York, and Providence, among others. Linda’s exhibition in Brattleboro is her ninth solo show and her first to take place in New England.

For Linda, one aim of the exhibition is to expand viewers’ understanding of the medium of weaving. Asked what she hopes people experience when interacting with the work, she explains, “I hope that people will see weaving as more than just a method of producing textiles. For me, weaving is a way of thinking through memory, history, loss, and migration, as well as a process that allows me to bring disparate thoughts, stories, and ideas together.”

This intentionality comes through in every element of the show. Linda continues, “The title of the exhibition, Warped Archive, speaks both to the warp threads on a loom, as well as to the ways archives can become distorted and fragmented over time. Whether it’s through family stories, visiting the motherland and experiencing it as a tourist, through an object in a museum, or through photographs shared through the family group chat, these archives speak to the ways that culture is built and maintained through different avenues and perspectives, and how difficult it can sometimes be accessing and navigating them.”

Linda’s work is often in conversation with archival materials. This aspect of her practice is a complement to the project of crafting an exhibition. Working alongside a museum professional to shape a solo show can be a daunting one for artist and curator alike. Linda’s exhibition at Brattleboro was curated by Emily Alesandrini, a respected writer, curator, and art historian who has earned awards from the Andy Warhol Foundation and AICA while also pursuing a PhD at Bryn Mawr.

Curator Emily Alesandrini pictured with artist Linda Sok in front of one of Sok’s weavings. Photo by Caro Meliones, courtesy of Brattleboro Museum and Art Center.

The artist enjoyed the collaborative nature of making her show a reality. Linda says,“It’s been wonderful working with Emily. She not only has an incredibly thoughtful approach to curating, but is also a wonderful human being. We had not yet met in person (and so she had not seen the work) up until the day of install, so we had to rely mainly on photographs leading up to the exhibition. The install period became a time where we could really truly collaborate and think through the relationships between works. It’s also the first time the works in the exhibition have been shown together, so I was fortunate that Emily saw the vision ahead of time to have pieces from different series sit so closely to one another. The ability to bounce ideas off one another and find the best solution to a problem that you are having is so important, and so is having someone that you get along with, so I really value the relationship we built through the many studio visits and conversations we’d had over the past couple of years.”

Linda’s time living in the Northeast has been a productive period in her career. She has held residencies at the Boston Center for the Arts, as well as at the Textile Arts Center and the Lower East Side Print Shop in New York. She was also selected for the New York Foundation for the Arts Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program. While completing her Master’s Degree at the Rhode Island School of Design, she earned the RISD Museum’s Dorner Prize, and completed a site-specific installation for the institution.

Reflecting on what it means for her to be featured in this exhibition at the Brattleboro Museum, Linda says, “Having spent the past five years in the Northeast, it feels meaningful to be able to share this work with a community that has shaped me and my practice. It has been special being able to share the work at Brattleboro, particularly as the Brattleboro Museum has an ambitious program that aims to champion artists working materially and experimentally from the New England region. I am really looking forward to connecting to the printmaking community in Brattleboro, as well as with the local Cambodian community during my artist talk on August 15. Being able to present this work in a close-knit community of people, in close proximity to where it was created feels like an opportunity to be in direct dialogue with the people and place that supported its development.”

Looking forward, Linda has an international exhibition coming up and is utilizing a local grant to make new work. She explains, “I have a solo exhibition planned for August this year at Eloise Cato Gallery in Australia. Beyond that, I recently received a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA), so I am working on developing a new body of work that looks at Cambodian silk weaving techniques, freezing them in the moments before the threads are woven. I also hope to be able to continue to expand upon past bodies of work into larger installations and deepening my research into Cambodian weaving traditions and museum collections.”

A detail from one of Linda Sok’s weavings. Photo by Erin Jenkins, courtesy of Brattleboro Museum and Art Center.

A respected interdisciplinary artist, Linda Sok is making important work that blends personal histories and precise methods of making. Her exhibition in Brattleboro offers the chance to see compelling contemporary art locally and to experience a visionary talent.

Linda Sok’s solo exhibition Warped Archive is on view at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center through November 1, 2026. On August 15 at 5:30pm, Linda will take part in a free Art Talk. This event is an exciting opportunity to meet a great artist.

Learn more about Linda Sok at www.linda-sok.com.

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