Yaro Zabavskiy: Teaching and Creating in Dilijan

 I would actually disagree with this statement. After its decline in the 1990s, darkroom, film-based photography has also been on the rise. More and more film and photo paper manufacturers are returning to the market; Kodak is back in business after its bankruptcy. There are even new film cameras being produced. However, what is important to note here is that darkroom photography has returned largely as an artform, an artistic medium much like print-making, not as a tool to document reality, necessarily. Advanced digital technologies will be the mainstream, of course, they are efficient at serving many purposes of our contemporary visual culture. But film photography and many so called alternative photographic processes took their niche as creative media which place value on the originality and the presence of the human hand. As in the case with ceramics, it allows people to touch, to handle and have as a result a tangible object that exists in the material world. 

 It will soon be 10years since you moved to Armenia. Has the local environment and culture influenced your art — and if so, how? 

 When I was moving to Armenia, I had no idea I would stay here for this long. But I fell in love with the country, its people, their beautiful land and their rich and vibrant culture. Much like with romantic love, the feeling grew into something deeper and I got officially “married” to Armenia by becoming its citizen in 2022. In my ceramic practice I am mostly inspired by the diverse topography and seasonal changes that I observe while travelling around Armenia. Rock formations around lake Sevan and lush greenery of Dilijan all make their way into my clay works, photography and recently — printmaking as well. 

 I once had the pleasure of attending your students’ exhibition at UWC Dilijan — it left a lasting impression thanks to its unique atmosphere. What makes UWC Dilijan, and teaching there, different from other similar schools? 

 UWC Dilijan is a unique institution where I am being empowered as an art teacher to bring out the best in my students. That empowerment happens through respect for the arts from administration, through wonderful facilities, the right tools and generous budget. But I believe one of the most important elements in this equation is trust. I am trusted to do my very best job and that trust both elevates and places a huge responsibility on me and on everyone at the school. That does not save anyone from making mistakes, by the way, but it does open a gateway to meaning and freedom and I am glad to hear that it translates to the students’ artworks.  

 Over the years, you’ve taught several generations of students. Are there any success stories that particularly stand out?