Maya Lin

Maya Lin explores concepts of site and place, investigating how systems evolve to contemplate the environment. Her creations prompt intellectual, sensory, and physical reflection on the natural world.

Biography of Maya Lin

Born in 1959 in Athens, Ohio, Maya Lin's creative journey began early, influenced by her time in her father's ceramics studio. She pursued her education in architecture and sculpture at Yale University, earning a bachelor's degree in 1981.

Lin's breakthrough came after she won a nationwide design competition for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., in 1982. Her memorial design garnered significant recognition, including an Honor Award and the Henry Bacon Memorial Award from the American Institute of Architects in 1984.

In 1984, she also took part in her inaugural group exhibition at the Sidney Janis Gallery in New York.

Lin continued to make her mark with notable projects such as design monuments for the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama (1989), and the Women's Table at Yale University (1995). Her first solo exhibition, "Public/Private," took place at the Wexner Center for the Arts in 1994, featuring the impactful "Groundswell" installation.

In 1995, Lin created "The Wave Field" at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, the first in a series of works exploring topological forms.

Driven by her enduring environmental advocacy and a fascination with maps, Lin began her exploration of water as a precious resource in 2007. She charted aerial perspectives of significant bodies of water like the Hudson, Thames, and Yangtze rivers. These works encompass wall installations, drawings, and large-scale sculptures crafted from materials such as recycled silver, glass marbles, and custom stainless-steel pins.

Lin's career has been distinguished by numerous accolades, including awards from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1988 and 2007. She also received the National Medal of Arts in 2009 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

Her recent solo exhibitions include "Ghost Forest Seedling" at Pace Gallery in New York (2023), "Nature Knows No Boundaries" at Pace Gallery in Seoul (2023), "One Life: Maya Lin" at National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. (2022), "Maya Lin: A Study of Water" at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach (2022), "Maya Lin: Ghost Forest" at Fotografiska in New York (2021), and many more.