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Born in Mexico City in 1942, Graciela Iturbide has for more than five decades developed a photographic oeuvre that transcends the boundaries of conventional art.
Her work is characterised by a deep sensitivity to ancestral cultures and an exceptional ability to capture the essence of communities in transition.
She conceives photography as a tool for cultural knowledge, exploration and research, creating images that reveal both the fragility and resilience of age-old traditions.
Her distinctive style, predominantly in black and white, succeeds in conveying the complex interaction between nature and culture, while exploring the symbolic dimension of landscapes and everyday objects transformed by her artistic gaze. This approach has made Iturbide an indispensable visual chronicler for understanding the socio-cultural evolution of Mexico and Latin America.
Iconic work and international recognition
Among Graciela Iturbide’s most renowned works is her extraordinary 1979 photographic record of the Seri Indians of the Sonoran Desert, a series that exemplifies her ability to document cultures at risk of disappearing with respect and artistic depth. Equally celebrated is her series on Frida Kahlo‘s bathroom in Coyoacán, where she captures the intimacy and symbolism of the iconic Mexican painter’s personal space.
Her work has transcended geographical boundaries, portraying not only indigenous peoples in Mexico, but also communities in Panama, Madagascar and Cuba. This geographic breadth demonstrates her commitment to the visual preservation of diverse cultures and her ability to find commonalities in the human experience.
Her work has been recognised and rewarded around the world in prestigious exhibitions such as the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, London’s Barbican Art Gallery, the Hokkaido Museum of Photography in Japan and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. These exhibitions have positioned her work in the canon of fine art photography worldwide.
Princess of Asturias for the Arts: tradition and prestige
Iturbide’s selection represents royal recognition of photography as an artistic discipline and specifically the social and cultural documentation that characterises her oeuvre.
It also underlines the growing importance of Latin American photography in the global art scene.
Iturbide’s award is the fourth in the XLV edition of the Princess of Asturias Awards.** Previously, the Communication and Humanities Award went to the South Korean-born German philosopher Byung-Chul Han, the Literature Award to the Barcelona writer Eduardo Mendoza, and the Social Sciences Award to the American sociologist and demographer Douglas Massey.
Over the next three weeks, the remaining categories will be awarded: Sports on 28 May, Concordia on 4 June, Scientific and Technical Research on 12 June, and International Cooperation on 18 June.