Linda James has worked as a practicing artist in New Zealand for the last twenty-five years and has exhibited widely throughout New Zealand. She received a Creative New Zealand grant in 2003, and has been a recipient of the Olivia Spencer Bower Art Award, as well as being a runner up in the VISA Gold Art Award. Linda also participated in the Artists in the Sub-Antarctic Scheme. In 2002 Linda was Artist in Residence at Avonside Girls High School in Christchurch.

Key exhibitions have included Sleep in the Forest, Dreams of the Sea, 2006, at the Centre for Contemporary Art, Christchurch, Other People, 2004, at the Centre for Contemporary Art, Christchurch, Out Of the Chaos 11 at the Centre for Contemporary Art, Christchurch in 2002, Disegno Interno at the Robert McDougall Art Gallery in 1996 (which toured to the Judith Anderson Gallery, Auckland and the Jonathan Jensen Gallery, Christchurch), and Narrative of War: Drawing Installation at the Rangiora Public Art Gallery in 1999.

An article by Emma Bugden about Linda's work can be found in the Art New Zealand Journal. Spring Issue 2003.