Juchitán, Oaxaca, Mexico 1986 © Graciela Iturbide/Leica Hall of Fame Award 2026, Leica Gallery Wetzlar 2026
Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide is celebrated among the creative community for her enigmatic yet eye-catching visual language. Her unique blend of mysticism, tradition, and identity, mostly shot in black and white, has earned Iturbide a place among the upper echelons of contemporary photography. Now, in recognition of her life’s work, Iturbide has been inducted into the Leica Hall of Fame.
The photographic equipment company has commended Iturbide’s oeuvre as, “Iconic images that have become etched into the collective memory are a testament to their work, touching the viewer and illustrating the ‘conditio humana’ in a timeless manner.” Iturbide is the first Latin American photographer to receive this honor, joining other legendary creatives like Steve McCurry, Joel Meyerowitz, Walter Vogel, Barbara Klemm, and Nick Út.
Born in Mexico City in 1942, Iturbide was immersed in photography from a young age, as her father was a devoted amateur photographer. She also surrounded herself with some of the most innovative creatives in her home country, working as an assistant to photographer Manuel Álvarez Bravo for a year. The death of her six-year-old daughter Claudia had a profound effect on her, prompting her to pursue a career as a professional photographer. In 1975, at age 33, she celebrated her first photographic exhibit in her hometown, and opened her first New York show the following year.
For the photographer, a picture’s quality has less to do with composition and more with what it can awaken in the viewer. “Difficult to say what a good photograph is made of. But for me, a good picture is the one that makes the other person feel something,” Iturbide says. In addition to the Leica Hall of Fame Award, Iturbide’s photograph Na’ Lupe Pan, taken in the southern state of Oaxaca in 1986, has been named Leica Picture of the Year 2026.
To showcase her work, Leica is celebrating an accompanying exhibition at the Leica Gallery in Wetzlar, Germany. Featuring over 50 photographs, the pictures include works from five different series. The first, and most famous, is Juchitán, comprised by pictures taken in this city with a large Zapotec presence, between 1979 and 1988; México Clásicas (1974–2008); Pájaros, featuring pictures of birds, a recurring symbol in her work, from 1987–1998, Desierto de Sonora, with images shot in the Sonora Desert in 1979; and Viajes, made up of photographs taken during her travels around Ecuador, Panama, Argentina, and Cuba.
The exhibition will be open through January 3, 2027. The Leica Gallery in Mexico City will also showcase Iturbide’s work from November 12, 2026, to January 24, 2027. To learn more, visit Leica’s website and follow Leica on Instagram.
Mexican contemporary photographer Graciela Iturbide has been honored with the Leica Hall of Fame Award 2026.
Quito, Ecuador 1982 © Graciela Iturbide/Leica Hall of Fame Award 2026, Leica Gallery Wetzlar 2026
Sonora Desert, Mexico 1979 © Graciela Iturbide/Leica Hall of Fame Award 2026, Leica Gallery Wetzlar 2026
Jano, Ocumichu, Mexico 1980 © Graciela Iturbide/Leica Hall of Fame Award 2026, Leica Gallery Wetzlar 2026
The Film, Havana, Cuba 1974 © Graciela Iturbide/Leica Hall of Fame Award 2026, Leica Gallery Wetzlar 2026
Portrait Graciela Iturbide © Images courtesy of Leica LATAM/Manolo Márquez
