Gabriel de la Mora (Mexican, b. 1968) "45,000 (Match Strike)"

Provenance Note: Charles E. Balbach (1934-2024) was a respected Western New York civic leader, arts patron, and dedicated collector whose leadership left a lasting mark on the region’s cultural institutions. A graduate of Harvard University, Balbach combined intellectual rigor with a deep commitment to public service and philanthropy. He served for more than two decades on the board of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum (formerly the Albright-Knox Art Gallery), including a term as President of the Board. During his tenure, he helped guide long-range planning initiatives and strengthen institutional stewardship at a pivotal moment in the museum’s evolution. A thoughtful and disciplined collector, Balbach believed strongly in public access to art and in the responsibility of collectors to support the institutions that sustain cultural life. His legacy reflects a lifetime of civic engagement, connoisseurship, and enduring dedication to the arts.

Gabriel de la Mora (Mexican, b. 1968)
Gabriel de la Mora is a multidisciplinary artist known for his experimental use of unconventional materials and processes. Trained initially as an architect, he practiced professionally for five years before a profound family crisis led him, at age 25, to abandon architecture and devote himself fully to art. His work is deeply informed by personal and familial experiences, as well as a sustained interest in scientific inquiry and systems of classification. De la Mora employs nontraditional methods such as burning and deconstructing images, working with obsolete objects, and incorporating materials like fingernails and human hair. Through these obsessive and meticulous processes, his work explores memory, transformation, and the emotional residue embedded in materials.