Michael Oliveri studied at the San Francisco Art Institute to receive a BFA in Sculpture and studied at UCLA to recieve an MFA in New Genres. Presently, Oliveri works as an associate professor in the ArtX department that he created at the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia.

Because of this background, his work is based in concept with biological traces. He investigates a wide range of media, from large-scale micrographic and photographic prints to explorations in microscopy, multi-media installations and performances. His subject matter is also varied, as animals, biological materials, immigrant workers, hydroponics, radio signal technology, effects processors, and video are examples from his palette.