University of Oregon 2025-26 Visiting Artist Lecture Series
Presented by the Department of Art and Center for Art Research

The lecture will be followed by an exhibition reception for Reza Safavi in the Laverne Krause Gallery.

Reza Safavi’s research examines how technology shapes experience. He uses sculpture, video, game engines, light, sound, drawing, performance, analog and digital devices as well as elements of the natural world to create interactive experiences that highlight the interfaces, both macro and micro, among communities, technology, consciousness and the environment. Receiving his MFA from the UO in 2006, Reza is thrilled to return to give a talk on his work and where he has been for the last 20 years.

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.

This lecture and exhibition are made possible by the Laverne Krause Lectures and Exhibitions endowment.