Paul Zakoian, 65, a photographer, sculptor and art teacher at the Contemporary Art Workshop, died of cancer and congestive heart failure Feb. 14, 1999 at his Chicago home. Mr. Zakoian was born in France to an Armenian family, and he grew up on Chicago’s West Side. Shortly after graduating from Austin High School, he joined the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, was trained as a photographer and served on the carrier U.S.S. Philippines. When he returned to the United States, he studied sculpture and photography at the Institute of Design, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in art education in the late 1950s. At the school, he studied under Chicago sculptor Cosmo Campoli and photography legends Aaron Siskind and Harry Callahan. His work has been included at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington D.C.; Francis Parker School, Chicago; Marjorie Dell Gallery, Chicago; and the Rockford Art Association, Rockford. “He was a very quiet, private person,” said Lynn Kearney, a friend and director at the workshop, where Mr. Zakoian taught sculpture and ran the bronze foundry. “He was a consummate teacher. Technically, he was extremely skilled at what he did. His students were devoted to him. He was the sweetest, gentlest person–a real artist’s artist.” He was an associate at the workshop for 40 years, where he helped build the bronze foundry. —Chicago Tribune, 1999
