Marius Iršėnas

Marius Iršėnas is a Lithuanian art historian and senior researcher at the Vilnius Academy of Arts (VAA) Institute of Art Research since 2008. He lectures on Western art history and Baltic archaeology at VAA, serves as director of its publishing house since 2008, and acts as Vice-Rector for Education since 2014. His career bridges academic research and cultural heritage promotion through publications, museum exhibitions, and international collaborations.

• Education: MA in art criticism (1997, VAA), PhD in art criticism (2003, VAA).

Iršėnas specializes in prehistoric art in the Baltic region, focusing on anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figurines, osseous artifacts, and symbolic expressions of hunter-gatherer societies. His research includes projects funded by the Research Council of Lithuania and European Research Council, particularly examining Stone Age cultural dynamics in Western Lithuania and bioarchaeological identities in North-East Europe.

His publications include peer-reviewed articles in Archaeologia Baltica and edited volumes like The Lithuanian Millennium: History, Art and Culture. He actively participates in international conferences such as the European Association of Archaeologists annual meetings and the UISPP World Congress, presenting findings on Mesolithic art and artifact functionality.