Oltsen GRIPSHI is an artist, essayist, exhibition curator, historian and art critic. After studying at the artistic lyceum “Jan Kukuzeli” in Durrës, he continued his university and postgraduate studies in painting and art theory outside Albania.

In 2006 he graduated in easel painting at the Academy of Fine Arts “G. B. Cignaroli” of Verona, Italy.

2009 defends the title of Professional Master (Post Lauream) in “Aesthetics and art criticism for icon reading pedagogy”, at the Faculty of Education Sciences at the State University of Padova, Italy.

2012 defends the title of second-level Scientific Master (Laurea Doctus) in “Visual Arts and Spectacle Disciplines”, at the Academy of Fine Arts “G. B. Cignaroli” of Verona, Italy.

2017 defended the title of Doctor of Sciences (Philosophiae Doctor) in “History of Albanian Art”, at the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Art Studies, Academy of Albanian Studies (today Academy of Sciences of Albania), Tirana, Albania.

In addition to the very rich activity as a contemporary art artist with solo exhibitions at the National Art Gallery (2016), the Ministry of Culture (2021), MuZEH Lab (2021), the National Museum of State Security Wiretapping “House with Leaves” (2022) and the representation of Albania in many international exhibitions. He is also an important voice in Albanian studies, having a long experience in scientific research in the field of the history of Albanian visual art, cultural heritage, museology and the science of aesthetics, where he was awarded in 2022 with the “Best Paper award Award 202” for the best study of the year, published in the scientific journal “UNICART” 2021, by the Scientific Committee of the International Academic Research Center at the State University of Calabria, Italy.

He is the author of several scientific monographs of the most prominent Albanian painters, of many studies and international scientific conferences published inside and outside Albania.

In the curatorial aspect, he is among the most prominent and affirmed figures in the Albanian contemporary art scene, curating exhibitions such as: “Qamil Grezda the predator of the beauty of nature”, in the National Art Gallery of Albania (2017), “Vox Baroque Albania”, the International Festival of Baroque Music at the National Ethnographic Museum in Berat, the Residence of the Royal Family in Tirana and the Archaeological Museum in Durrës (2019), “The Red”, the XVIth Edition of the National Exhibition “Autumn Hall”, in the Gallery of Visual Arts Shkodër (2022), “Contemporary Art Albania-Austria”, in the National Historical Museum in Tirana (2023).

Oltsen Gripshi’s works are part of the collections of the National Art Gallery of Albania, Imago Mundi Luciano Benetton Collection, Trevizo, Italy, National Gallery of Fine Arts of Jordan, Galleria PH Neutro Fotografia-Fine Art, Verona, Italy, GAT - Gallery Arteve Tirana, Haegeumgang Theme Museum, Geoje, South Korea, Fantapia M. Chang Kil-Hwan Art Museum, Gangneung, South Korea and the Shkodër Visual Arts Gallery.

After several years of experience as an external teacher of Ancient and Medieval Art History and Archeology at the “Aleksandër Moisiu” State University of Durrës, currently he is a guest lecturer of Semiotic Interpretation of Children’s Art at the “Luigj Gurakuqi” State University of Shkodra, as well as simultaneously covering education, art, culture and tourism in the Prefecture of Durrës District.