The University of Oregon Department of Art is pleased to present a lecture and exhibition by Reza Safavi (MFA ’06), made possible by the LaVerne Krause Lectures and Exhibitions endowment.  

The exhibition "Binging on the Biome" will be on view from Febraury 16-26, 2026 in the LaVerne Krause Gallery. An exhibition reception will immediately following the lecture.

"Binging on the Biome" is informed by an interest in the edge zones of ecosystems, transitional regions where distinct environments meet and interact. These liminal spaces are defined by exchange, instability, and heightened activity, operating under conditions of continual negotiation rather than equilibrium. Through light-based works, scanned and printed ice forms, film, fabric, and kinetic systems, the works highlight these areas where environmental systems overlap and remain in flux. Referencing the increasing scarcity of ice, the exhibition considers how regions once defined by inaccessibility are becoming sites of strategic interest and control. The exhibition remains open-ended, resisting resolution while acknowledging the complexities of engagement with fragile systems.

Reza Safavi’s practice is shaped by a hybrid sense of identity. Raised in Canada after the Multiculturalism Act of 1988, he explores cultural juxtapositions through material and digital forms. Living and working in the U.S., he continues this inquiry through research and practice. Reza has been a member of several artists’ groups and, in addition to his solo work, he regularly participates in making of collaborative projects. His artwork has been exhibited and presented regionally nationally and internationally in diverse venues ranging from galleries and museums to public installations and performances. He is Professor of Art at Washington State University and holds an MFA from the University of Oregon (2006) and a BFA from the University of Victoria, in Victoria, BC, Canada. 

Image caption: Komagataeibacterberg, fabricated from point cloud data from an Arctic iceberg using a custom biomaterial made from oceanic microbes and Kombucha, Archival Pigment Print