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Serj Tankian is best known as the lead singer of the Grammy award winning rock band, System Of A Down, but he is also a solo artist, composer, activist, painter, poet, and filmmaker. He’s a proud Armenian-American and a dedicated activist; along with Tom Morello, Tankian co-founded the non-profit organization Axis of Justice, which strived to bring together musicians, music fans, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. He has composed scores for many films and television series, had his paintings exhibited in galleries in the U.S. and New Zealand, and released two books of his own poetry. Tankian lives with his wife and his son, splitting their time between Los Angeles and New Zealand. His book, Down with the System: A Memoir (of Sorts), published in May 2024.
Zack Ruskin is a freelance culture reporter living in San Francisco. His work includes bylines for the Washington Post, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Follow him on Instagram: @zackruskin.
Photo by Travis Shinn