Maya Lin

1959 - Present

Maya Lin was born in Athens, Ohio where both of her parents settled after emigrating to the United States from China. Both her parents were professors at Ohio University, creating large shoes to fill. Growing up, Maya didn’t have many friends and spent her free time studying at home. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in 1981 from Yale University and a Master of Architecture in 1986.

At just 21 years old, Maya won a public design contest when she submitted a design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial- serving as her first professional milestone. Located on the National Mall in Washington D.C. the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is composed of glossy black granite panels holding the names of over 58,000 veterans lost while serving the United States of America in the Vietnam War. Maya’s design stood out to her peers because she recognized the importance of the memorial’s location- she wanted to integrate the surrounding landscape into the memorial. In an interview with the American Institute of Architects Maya shared her creative vision. “I imagined taking a knife and cutting into the earth, opening it up, with an initial violence and pain that in time would heal,” said Lin. With great success also comes great controversy.

Upon completion of the memorial, nearly two dozen U.S. Congressmen filed formal complaints to President Ronald Reagan claiming the memorial to be, “a political statement of shame and dishonor.” Many individuals made counterclaims regarding the work of art and a beautiful monument that lacked “overly forced symbolism.” She went on to lead an inspiring career in landscape architecture.