On May 4 in Oviedo, Spain, South African artist William Kentridge (Johannesburg, 1955) received the 2017 Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts for, according to the jury, "expressing through his work emotions and metaphors framed by the history and reality of South Africa that nonetheless transcend their local context to pose essential questions about the human condition, combining themes where purely poetic and aesthetic explorations, as well as sociopolitical content, prevail. Thus, this is an artist deeply committed to the reality that he explores," adding that Kentridge is "a meticulous and thoughtful creator who uses drawing, following the best of traditions, as the main instrument for artistic expression, not only on paper, collage, engraving, and sculpture, but also in video art proposals, animated films, installations and scenographies, both theatrical and operatic." The jury was formed by Bárbara Allende-Gil de Biedma, Juan Manuel Bonet-Planes, José Luis Cienfuegos-Marcello, Oliver Díaz-Suárez, Josep María Flotats i Picas, Carmen Giménez-Martín, Blanca Gutiérrez-Ortiz, Catalina Luca de Tena y García-Conde, Joan Matabosch-Grifoll, Elena Ochoa-Foster, Alfredo Pérez de Armiñán y de la Serna, Sandra Rotondo-Urcola, Emilio Sagi Álvarez-Rayón, Patricia Urquiola-Hidalgo, and Carlos Urroz-Arancibia. The jury was headed by José Lladó Fernández-Urrutia. José Antonio Caicoya-Cores served as secretary. During the official announcement, the jury emphasized William Kentridge's standing as "one of the most complete and innovative artists in the international art scene."