Graciela Iturbide Receives the 2025 Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts
Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide has been honored with the prestigious Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts 2025. The jury praised her innovative perspective, recognizing how her work powerfully depicts the social realities not just of Mexico, but of various countries where she has worked. Her photographs reveal a captivating world that balances the harshness of reality with a touch of spontaneous magic, as highlighted by the Princess of Asturias Foundation in their announcement.
Born in Mexico City in 1942, Iturbide is hailed as one of Latin America's most important and influential photographers. She views her work as a means to explore and investigate diverse cultures, often utilizing black and white imagery that showcases the fragility of ancient traditions and their struggle for survival. Her photography frequently addresses the interplay between nature and culture, as well as the symbolic significance of landscapes and found objects.
With over fifty years of experience, Iturbide has captured the essence of indigenous peoples in Mexico, Panama, Madagascar, and Cuba, creating a powerful body of work that is essential for understanding the evolution of photography in Mexico and Latin America as a whole. She is renowned for her projects such as her 1979 documentation of the Seri Indians in the Sonora desert and her series portraying Frida Kahlo’s bath in Coyoacán.
The jury's announcement of her award came via a telematic meeting, which replaced their planned in-person convening in Oviedo due to a blackout affecting the Iberian Peninsula that occurred on April 28. The Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts serves to honor achievements in a wide array of artistic fields, including architecture, cinematography, dance, sculpture, photography, music, painting, theater, and more.
In recent years, the award has been garnered by notable figures such as American actress Meryl Streep, Spanish singer Carmen Linares, and prominent artists like Marina Abramovic and Martin Scorsese. Iturbide's recognition marks the fourth award to be announced in the 45th edition of the Princess of Asturias Awards, following honors in Communications and Humanities, Letters, and Social Sciences.
The remaining categories yet to be awarded include Sports, Concordia, Scientific and Technical Research, and International Cooperation, with dates ranging from late May to mid-June. Each Princess of Asturias Award is accompanied by a replica sculpture by Joan Miró, a diploma, a badge, and a monetary prize of fifty thousand euros. Named after the title held by the heir or heiress to the Spanish throne, currently Princess Leonor, who is the firstborn child of the Spanish kings, the award continues to celebrate artistic contributions worldwide.
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