Isabella Ourada
Pansexual Pride Bunny, Fiber
It’s nice to meet you! My name is Isabella Ourada, though I usually go by Izzy. I’m a queer fiber and mixed media artist born and raised in South Carolina, living in North Carolina since 2022. Much of my life has been defined by self-discovery: finding my identity, ways through my setbacks, and ways to express myself. Art was there for it all, drawing me out of my shell and opening doors that would otherwise have stayed closed. I began painting under my grandmother’s guidance, then took a leap into fiber, joining Haywood Community College’s fiber program with no prior experience. Those were two of the best years of my life. Today I spend my days assisting my grandparents, loving on my dogs, and growing as an artist.
Art is often called another language, a way to speak when words fail. Letting people feel heard in a world full of noise drives my work. I work primarily in fiber and paint, adding whatever materials best serve each piece. I draw on memorable moments, my own and others’, and the powerful emotions within them. My experience as a queer person especially shapes what I make. I strive to give all kinds of emotions and experiences physical form, so everyone can see themselves represented.
