“Peace Is a Thread That Doesn’t Break”
Zijun Ginny Lin Reimagines Stillness at UNESCO Youth Exhibition
About the Artist
Zijun (Ginny) Lin is a student artist from the Peddie School. She’s working at the intersection of sculpture, memory, and peace studies. Her work often draws from Buddhist philosophy, Chinese poetics, and feminist material practices. States of Peace marks her first exhibition with UNESCO Center for Peace and her debut in Washington, D.C.
washington d.c.
(Special Representative)
Inside the luminous exhibition hall of the Catholic University of America, where people from over 20 nations have convened for UNESCO’s Voices of Impact: Youth Ideas for SDG Solutions, one installation stands apart—not by its scale or spectacle, but by its quiet persistence.
Titled States of Peace, the multi-piece sculptural work by artist Zijun (Ginny) Lin does not shout, but hums—softly, symbolically, deliberately. It offers no solutions, no proclamations. Instead, it offers presence.
“Peace is not a declaration,” Ginny tells in a soft, clear voice. “It’s a thread you choose not to cut. It’s a boat that keeps floating even when the water is still.”
A Personal Vocabulary of Peace
Turning 18 this year, Ginny was selected in this year’s Voices of Impact showcase, sharing her story and perspectives on peace. While many participants bring proposals in public policy, environmental engineering, and AI governance, Ginny brings yarn, brass, childhood drawings, and memory. “I grew up understanding peace as a word in textbooks,” she reflects. “But I wanted to understand how it feels—viscerally, emotionally, even spiritually. That’s where the work began.”
Her installation comprises five sculptural works that unfold akin to a visual poem. Despite their material differences—brass, glass, acrylic, yarn—they are unified by a singular narrative arc: peace as motion, memory, structure, sensation, and struggle.
Youth and SDG 16: A New Vocabulary for Justice and Peace – States of Peace is Ginny’s response to SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. But unlike conventional interpretations rooted in law, governance, and diplomacy, Ginny’s work brings an affective lens. She asks: What if peace is not something we legislate, but something we practice in the emotional textures of daily life?
“I want viewers to linger, not to agree with me,” she says. “If they leave thinking about a thread that didn’t snap, or a drawing that wasn’t erased, then that’s enough.”
Her installation was one of the most visited during the opening day, with delegates and students returning for a second, even third look. Some took photographs. Others stood in silence. A few wept.
Beyond the Gallery: The Future of Soft Resistance
Ginny’s approach—what some curators are calling “soft resistance art”—is grounded in care, ambiguity, and personal memory. Her works do not resolve tension; they hold it. They are invitations rather than declarations.
When asked what’s next, Ginny smiles:
“Maybe more boats. Maybe more threads. But always more listening.”
As States of Peace continues to resonate across audiences, it’s clear that Ginny has found not just a medium, but a message. In a world addicted to speed and certainty, she reminds us that sometimes the strongest gesture is to stay still—and listen.