Vartan Malakian
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Vartan Malakian (born February 14, 1947) is an Armenian-American artist born in Iraq who now lives in Los Angeles. He is also the father of Daron Malakian, guitarist of System of a Down. He did the artwork for the band's 2005 albums Mezmerize and Hypnotize and Daron Malakian's Ibanez Signature Model DMM1 guitar. He frequently attends System of a Down concerts and his son will often dedicate a song to him when he does.
By the age of eighteen, Malakian held his first art expo at the Czechoslovakian Embassy and other government sponsored events drawing attention to his artwork. In 1968, Vartan took on the position as head dance choreographer for the Iraqi Government and the Armenian Youth Organization. For several years, Vartan successfully organized and created Broadway caliber shows.
By 1975, Vartan Malakian had moved to the U.S. and settled in Hollywood, California. Vartan continued his career in dance and arts and in 1981, began to teach dance at Glendale College, where he formed an Armenian Dance Assembly. In 1993, Vartan Malakian opened his Antiques and Art Gallery, which was called Arka Gallery. There, Vartan successfully sold over 100 pieces of his own artistic creations to a diversified group of people including many famous icons in the arts industry. In 2001, the Los Angeles Times called Vartan Malakian's gallery one of the most unique stores in the city.
In 2005, Vartan Malakian hired ZAk the founder and the designer of System of a Down popular fans site, SOADFans.com, to create and help design the vartanmalakian.com website, which was launched on December, 2005.
