ALTADENA, CA — On Sunday, October 4, the Tekeyan Cultural Association (TCA) Metro Los Angeles Chapter organized a book presentation by photographer, author and publisher David Karamian at the Tekeyan Cultural Association Beshgeturian Center.
Aleen Yadegarian, a UCLA student and representative of the TCA Metro LA chapter, served as master of ceremonies.
Karamian’s new book, Eternal Armenia: Khatchkars – The CrossStones of Noratus, is a photographic and cultural study of the ancient cemetery of Noratus, on the western shore of Lake Sevan in Armenia. This is Karamian’s third book on Armenia, independently published through NorArtGallery Publishing. It is the culmination of nearly three years of photography, research, writing and design. The 264-page, large-format bilingual English-Armenian volume features nearly 200 photographs, including expansive panoramic views of the Noratus Cemetery, intimate studies of individual khatchkars, carved monuments on graves, and the landscape where these centuries-old stones have endured.
Each photo in the book has long captions that are not mere descriptions of each khatchkar, but the photographer’s personal interpretation. The descriptions are intended to make the observer slow down and reflect. Karamian said, “The information about each stone is not exactly what an artisan was thinking eight hundred years ago. They are invitations to observe the symbols, composition, craftsmanship, and personality of each stone.”
For Karamian, the book is not simply about photographing beautiful stones. It is about memory, survival, and responsibility. Once a cultural treasure disappears, photographs and memories may be all that remain. The second part of the book includes tombstones and graves, and Karamian clearly explains the difference between a khatchkar and a tombstone.
A San Francisco Bay Area resident, Karamian is an Armenian-American photographer, author, publisher, and contributing writer for Black & White Photography Magazine. After a long career in engineering, design, and corporate leadership, he fully turned his attention to photography, publishing, and projects that document Armenian cultural heritage. Through NorArtGallery Publishing, Karamian has produced three books on Armenia, to date, with his recent work increasingly focused on cultural documentation and preservation.
