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Art in Prison: A Two-Way Learning Journey | Levon Gyulkhasyan | TEDxYouth@DoverSherbornHighSchool

Levon Gyulkhasyan shares how teaching comics in jail became a mutual learning experience that transforms both his students and his own artistic approach. Through a creative process shaped by real-world constraints, incarcerated individuals gain tools for self-expression, emotional growth, and self-worth. The talk explores how art, adapted to the prison environment, becomes a vehicle for rehabilitation and meaningful storytelling. A member of the Boston Comics Roundtable, Actual Art Armenia, and APBDA France, Levon holds a Ph.D. in engineering and is certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP). He is a teacher and illustrator at the Russian School of Mathematics, where he blends education with visual storytelling. He is the creator of Jumbo Loop Comics; 90-foot, ring-shaped comic strips designed for public installation. These large-scale works have been exhibited outdoors in Yerevan, Gyumri, and Angoulême, engaging diverse audiences through immersive art. At Lesley University’s Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (MICE), he led a 5-year interactive project where visitors were invited to draw on massive comic strips, collaboratively shaping evolving narratives. Levon also conducts weekly “constraint comics” workshops in Yerevan and Cambridge, MA, exploring experimental storytelling through creative limitations. He is the author of three graphic novels and numerous comic stories featured in anthologies. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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