Graciela Iturbide Mexican, b. 1942

Graciela Iturbide began to study film-making in the late 1960s at the Centro Universitario de Estudios Cinematograficos. While assisting Manuel Alvarez Bravo in the early 1970s, she studied photography. Traveling to Europe around this time, she met Henri Cartier-Bresson, who became a significant influence on her work. In 1978 she became a founding member of the Mexican Council of Photography.

Graciela Iturbide’s work is a mixture of history, lyricism, and portraiture. The subtle yet powerful photographs blend the essence of the cultures of her native Mexico with her own personal vision and love of poetry. Her photographs combine the story of a culture in transition with issues of identity, diversity, and selfhood. Iturbide has studied the indigenous society of Mexico in different states offering photos of sublime magic realism. Iturbide explores ways to articulate the “voice” of Mexico with an intricate interweaving of histories and practices. “My pictures are a sort of travel diary… As an artist you need to move on, you need to try new things… And in the end, photography for me is just an excuse to get to know the world.” – Graciela Iturbide

Graciela Iturbide is considered one of the most influential black and white photographers in the world. A recipient of the 2008 Hasselblad award, her work has been exhibited internationally and is included in many major museum collections including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, NY; Museum of Modern Art, New York City, NY; Tate Modern, London, UK; and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, CA to name only a few. Her many honors include the William Klein Prize (2023); Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award (2021); Infinity Award: Cornell Capa Lifetime Achievement (2015); National Tribute, Mexico (2014); Lifetime Achievement Award, Bangladesh (2013); Lucie Award (2010); National Prize of Sciences and Arts, Mexico City (2009); Hasselblad Foundation Photography Award (2008); Legacy Award from the Smithsonian Latino Center (2007); Hugo Erfurth Award (1989); and a Guggenheim Fellowship (1988). She continues to live and work in Mexico.

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