Serj Tankian

A singer, poet, songwriter, visual artist, activist, and composer; Serj Tankian has always created music and art as an outlet to express his thoughts and feelings with a level of passion and consciousness that few can rival. An Armenian born in Lebanon and re-rooted in Los Angeles, Serj was introduced to the melding of cultures, ideas and ideals from a very young age. The principles learned from this integration and adaptation have led to his understanding of the oneness of all things and have since maneuvered and transfigured into art that he lives to create. As the lead singer and songwriter for System Of A Down, Serj has released five studio albums, winning a Grammy Award in 2006 for "B.Y.O.B" and selling over 40 million albums worldwide. He creates a uniquely audible and visual experience with his artworks. Each painting is accompanied by a musical score that has been composed by the artist that is as integral to his artistic expression as the paint on the canvas. The embedded music along with additional content is unlocked and accessed via "Arloopa", a free mobile application for IOS and Android devices that utilizes optical recognition technology to identify his works and allow those looking at his artwork to listen to each painting's corresponding musical score. Tankian's vision to utilize smartphone technology back in 2013 with his very own Eye For Sound app as the conduit to unlock the intertwined relationship of music and art was the first of its kind. Serj's artwork has been exhibited across multiple galleries and museums across California, New York, Massachusetts and New Zealand.