Biography
AAlexandra Demenkova is a Russian photographer (Russia/Israel). Born in 1980 in Kingisepp, Leningrad Region, USSR. Since 2023 based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
In 2003 Demenkova graduated from the Department of Foreign Languages of Herzen University in Saint-Petersburg and holds a degree in Germanic Philology.
In 2000-2002 she studied at the Faculty of Photojournalism in the group of Sergey Maximishin.
Since 2004 she has been a documentary photographer, working on long-term projects in Saint-Petersburg, Russian provinces and other countries.
In 2007 she took part in the Joop Swart Masterclass of World Press Photo, Amsterdam.
In 2008-2009 she was an artist-in-residence in Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam.
In 2013 she was invited to Light Work AiR, Syracuse, New York.
In 2013-2014 Demenkova taught photography at the Faculty of Photojournalism in Saint-Petersburg.
Over the years she also held photographic workshops and artist talks in different venues.
Since 2021 she is represented by Alisa Gallery.
Since 2025 — member of the Noga Creative Union.
Awards & Honors
2006 — Grand Prix, The Best Photojournalist of the Year, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
2004 — Grand Prix, The Northern Palmyra, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
Solo exhibitions
2022 — Alexandra Demenkova. An Attempt of Interpretation, EUSP, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
2021 — Hunting, Vyksa AIR, Vyksa, Nizhny Novgorod Region, Russia.
2021 — Russian Love, Alisa Gallery, Cube.Moscow, Moscow, Russia.
2020 — Alexandra Demenkova, Artist Residency, Contretype, Brussels, Belgium.
2017 — Biennale de Photographie en Condroz, Marchin, Belgium.
2017 — Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie en Gaspesie, Quebec, Canada.
2015 — Alexandra Demenkova, Photographs, Sprungturm Gallery, Cologne, Germany.
2014 — Humaines, trop Humains, Le Bleu du Ciel, Lyon, France (with Dana Popa).
2014 — Alexandra Demenkova — Opere scelte, RF64 Spazio Minimo, Acquaviva, San Marino.
2013 — Fragile Land, Head On Photo Festival, Sydney, Australia.
2012-2013 — Cinema Forum; Lieux-Communs, Shortcuts Gallery, Namur, Belgium.
2012 — Russian Love, H2O Gallery, Barcelona, Spain.
2012 — Latvian Museum of Photography, Riga, Latvia.
2012 — Kaunas Photo Festival, Kaunas, Latvia.
2011 — Fotodoc, The Sakharov Center, Moscow, Russia.
2011 — Zerkalo, Photographie Russe Contemporaine, Quebec, Canada.
2010 — Territory of Broken Dreams, De Nederlandsche Cacaofabriek, Helmond, Netherlands.
2009 — The Photography of Alexandra Demenkova, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland.
2009 — Images and Likenesses, Museum of the History of Photography, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
2006 — Night Bus, Alone Gallery, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
2005 — The Latest Stories, Mayakovsky Library, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
Group exhibitions
2025 — TinyVices Archive, 20th Anniversary Exhibition, The Hole, New York, USA.
2023 — Before and After: Projects in Vyksa AIR, NCCA Arsenal, Niznny Novgorod, Russia.
2023 — The 2nd Quanzhou (Huaguang) International Image Biennal and Fujian Huaguang Photographic Art Museum Featured Exhibition, China.
2021 — The Nature’s Edge: Black Forest, Vyksa AIR, Vyksa, Nizhny Novgorod Region, Russia.
2019 — 1993–2013, Anniversary Exhibition, Cacaofabriek, Helmond, Netherlands.
2019 — Centre Wallonie-Bruxelles, Paris, France.
2016 — Circus, The State Russian Museum, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
2016 — From White to Black Sea. Russia’s Waterway, Museum of the World Ocean, Kaliningrad, Russia.
2014 — Asian Women Photographers' Showcase, Obscura Festival, Penang, Malaysia.
2014 — What does the Motherland start with? , Museum of Moscow, Moscow, Russia.
2013 — Art.0, Nouveau Palais de Justice, Lyon, France.
2013 — Russian Portfolio,Recycle Art, Brussels, Belgium.
2012 — Contemporary Russian Photography, XXII Month of Photography, Bratislava, Slovakia.
2012 — Young Russian Stories, Institut d’Estudis Fotogràfics de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
2012 — Reflexions Masterclass 2002-2012, Une Aventure Artistique, Les Rencontres d’Arles, Arles, France.
2012 — Contemporary Russian Photography, FotoFest, Houston, USA.
2011-2012 — Menotrentuno, Su Palatu Gallery, Museo del Carmelo, Sassari, Sardegna, Italy.
2011 — 7th Angkor Photo Festival, Siem Reap, Cambodia.
2011 — Die Macht der Sprache im Bild, Goethe Institut, Helsinki, Finland.
2010-2011 — VoTH Exhibition, MMOMA and Stedelijk Museum, Moscow, Russia and 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.
2010 — II QueerFest, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
2010 — Land, Noorderlicht International Photofestival, Fries Museum, Leeuwarden, Netherlands.
2010 — 10th International Festival of Photography in Pingyao, Пиньяо, China.
2010 — Nordic Light, International Festival of Photography, Kristiansund, Norway.
2010 — Russian Photography, Beckel Odille Boicos Gallery, Paris, France.
2009 — Russian Style,Photographer.ru Gallery, Moscow, Russia.
2009 — Chobi Mela V, International Festival of Photography, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
2009 — A new place to live, Royal Court Theatre Company, Stratford-upon-Avon, Great Britain.
2008 — Lumix Festival of Young Photojournalism, Hanover, Germany.
2007 — Bursa Photography Days, UFAT, University of Uludag, Bursa, Turkey.
2007 — Humanity Photo Awards, Dazhou, China.
2006 — Motherland, Part 2: East/West,The 9th International Photography Gathering, Aleppo, Syria.
2006 — The Decisive Moment. One Hundred Photographs by One Hundred Photographers, Central Exhibition Hall Manege, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
Bibliography
2009 — This Day of Change, Kodansha Ltd, eng., ISBN 9 78-4 062 154 437, Tokyo, Japan.
2010 — Future Images, 24 Ore Cultura Srl, eng., ISBN 978-8 864 130 170, Milano, Italy.
2010 — Land: Country Life in an Urban Age. Noorderlicht International Photofestival 17, Stichting Aurora Borealis, eng., ISBN 978-9 076 703 435, Badhoevedorp, Netherlands.
2016 — Reflexions Masterclass photographies 2002-2012: Une aventure artistique, Actes Sud, fr., ISBN 978-2 330 009 892, Arles, France.
Museum collections
Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
CBK (Centrum Beeldende Kunst) Zuidoost, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal, The Hague, Netherlands.
