1 A native of Athens, Ohio, Maya Lin was born on October 5, 1959. Her parents were originally from Beijing and Shanghai, China but moved to Ohio in 1949. Her heritage as a Chinese-American has had a great influence on her choice of career. Lin grew up surrounded by her mother's literature and her father's art. Both parents were professors at Ohio University.
The combination of cultures, art and literature resulted in her designing one of the most memorable monuments in Washington, DC: The Vietnam Veterans' Memorial.
Lin attended Yale University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Architecture in 1981 and a Master of Architecture degree in 1986. It was during her student years at Yale that she entered a national competition design for the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial.
Her entry was chosen from among 1,400 others. Lin was only 21 years old when her design won. For two years she oversaw the construction of the memorial. It was dedicated in 1982 and has become one of the most widely revered and appreciated public memorials in the United States.
One quote sums up her philosophy of design: "I work with the landscape, and I hope that the object and the land are equal partners." Lin is married and has two young children. She and her family live in New York City.
