Alina Birjuk (b. 1996) is a Estonian photographer currently based in Zürich, Switzerland. Her work moves between documentary and staged photography, exploring themes of intimacy, love, food, and everyday rituals.
Birjuk holds half of BA in Photography from the Estonian Academy of Arts and the other half Bachelor’s in Design: Trends and Identity (Zürich university of the Arts) and has exhibited groups of intimate portrait and life‑studies, such as Young Love, where she documented the romantic lives of elderly couple, creating gentle, humorous, and touching portraits that challenged generational assumptions about falling in love in older age. Her work often grows from direct encounters with strangers, evolving through shared conversation and meals.
Alina embraces imperfection and playfulness, favoring the unpolished and the everyday. She frequently engages food and objects as metaphors, seeing in them both personal symbolism and wider cultural scripts. Whether through the lens of a half-eaten meal, her images evoke emotional closeness while leaving space for ambiguity and the viewer’s interpretation.
Her practice is rooted in encountering strangers, observing habits and telling subtle, human narratives through photos. She aims to invite viewers into spaces of tenderness, ambiguity and shared experience.
Alina Birjuk:
Born in Pärnu, Estonia 1996
Based in Zürich, Switzerland
Contact: alinabirjuk@gmail.com
Location: Zürich & Tallinn
Instagram: @alinabirjuk
Education, courses and work
2015 - 2018 Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences,
Business management BA 1/3
2018 - 2020 Vurr Digital Agency, Creative Union
2021 - 2025 EKA: Estonian Academy of Arts, Photography BA (1/3)
2022 - Canon TOP 30 aspiring documentary photographer / Canon student development program (Link)
2022 - 2024 ZHdK: Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, Design: Trends & Identity BA (2/3)
Publications
2020 Poetry book "Vahete Vahel" Jete Eevald, Alina Birjuk
2021 August "Värske Rõhk" cover
2021 Manna “I can do anything IF I WANT TO” Album cover
2022 Online exhibition, documentary project "Young Love"
ENG: Aint-Bad Contemporary Art Magazine, Estonian World
DE: https://www.rtl.de/videos/uno-und-linda-haben-endlich-zueinander-gefunden-62769cf6e3eb9bdb2708d342.html
RUS: ERR Kofe+
FIN: Baltic guide, ERR
EST: Ringvaade, Photopoint, Edasi.org, Anne Stiil, Elu24.ee, Delta raadiosaade, Naisteleht, EKA uudised, ERR
2022 "One another" BFO21 EKA photography group exhibition "Jätku leiba!"
2022 "EKA koondportree" BFO21 EKA Art project, Digital print 5m x 10m on flag material
2022 Carmencita lab - best of July 2022
2022 “Committing nowadays” short-documentary, ZHdK
2022 Carmencita lab - selected into best photos of 2022
2023 Made in Estonia Maraton Performance festival https://vimeo.com/719123678
2023 Mannheim Arts and film festival “Honorable mention” Award “Committing nowadays” documentary film
2023 “Young love” series / The touch. Small photo, big story /
Juhan Kuusi Photodocumentary center
2023 “Young love” Exhibition 01.11.2023 - 01.12.2023
Pärnu Keskraamatukogu
2024 Carmencita Lab 27.01 - 27.02 collective exhibition Valencia, Spain
2024 NZZ am Sonntag Cover - Swiss dish
2024 “Fragile. handle with care” Group Exhibition. EKA. Paper collage 3m x 1,5m Title: Autoportrait
2025 “Innere Landschaften – Musik zwischen Passion und Leidenschaft” Photography & Live performance with Julia Silvana Graf (Fagott) with Yulia Miloslavskaya (Klavier) ZHdK
Clients
Embassy of Switzerland in China
Mercedes-Benz
Soil to Soul
Foodlab
Hiltl
Gastro Zürich
Rivella
Roast and Host
Bolt
Visit Estonia EAS
European Society of Cardiology
LHV Bank
Swedbank
Luminor Bank
Wolt
Converse
Nike
Fazer
Paulig
Telia
Rimi
Rkiosk
Stockmann
Eagle Vision
Piletilevi
Parcelsea
GLIA
Restaurants and food
Rudolf
Tõnis Saar Gastronomy
Hiltl
Gastro Zürich
Rivella
Kulturlokal Rank
Rechberg 1837
Slow Food
Soil to Soul
ANOAH
White Rabbit Bakery
Das Pure
NZZ Sonntag
Kaks Kokka and Ö
Olde Hansa
Paulig
Fazer
Wolt
Bolt food
Silverspoon
Loodusvägi
Magazines
NZZ - Zürich
Life in Estonia
Demorgen.be
Värske Rõhk
Müürileht
Estonian World
Agency
Weareamplify.com
Verveagency.com
Navada
Mona und Mateo
Creative Union
Identity
Optimist
AGE
NOT perfect
PR strategies