Gregory de la Haba, 1979

Gregory de la Haba is an American interdisciplinary artist, writer, curator, and cultural producer. Born and raised in New York City, he seamlessly integrates fine art and street culture with a foundation in traditional artistic research. A skilled painter with a pedagogical lineage that stretches back to Jacques-Louis David, de la Haba is an exemplary practitioner of fine art whose conceptual practice resists categorization. His work explores themes of addiction, masculinity, and ‘Duende’, a heightened state of emotion, expression, and authenticity derived from pure artistic expression. Through this lens, he unlocks his true self in art and life.

His creative journey is profoundly influenced by his life in a city he describes as an enduring source of inspiration. His work exudes a remarkable energy and depth of color, drawing from the legacy of celebrated masters such as Mark Rothko, whose influence has left an indelible mark on de la Haba’s approach to composition and emotional resonance. His chosen palette is often intense, dynamic, and, at times, unflinching in its boldness, evoking feelings of hope and vitality while simultaneously prompting viewers to reflect on optimism even in the face of uncertainty and disorder. Photography also plays a crucial role in his creative process. Drawing from his extensive archive, he integrates documentary-style photography into his canvases, using storied locations as backdrops that enrich his work with urban stories and social context. By mixing  photography and painting, de la Haba creates compositions that reflect the energy and pulse of the city, merging the ephemeral nature of street life with the permanence of fine art.

Since 2008, de la Haba has produced art-related ventures through his creative platform Bodega de la Haba. Notable projects include hosting literary events with Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Franz Wright, curating a survey of significant works by the celebrated artist Judy Rifka at Pulpo Gallery in Murnau am Staffelsee in Germany, and producing and narrating Terrence Browne’s Irish art history musical “Hazel - Made In Belfast” which premiered at Carnegie Hall.

In 2009, de la Haba was the Artist-in-Residence at ‘Jack the Pelican Presents’, where he firmly cemented his notoriety with a provocative body of work.

In October 2024, de la Haba won the First Prize at the Durres International Biennale in Albania.

A cum laude graduate of Harvard University, de la Haba has written on a number of artists including Billy the Artist, Richie Culver, Marcus Jansen, Cristina BanBan, Oscar Murillo, Al Diaz, California Locos (Dave Tourjé, Chaz Bojórquez, John Van Hamersveld, Norton Wisdom and Gary Wong), Miya Ando, Andy Moses, Timothy Warren Williams, Lance De Los Reyes, Mel Bochner and many others. De la Haba's writings and artworks have been featured in many publications including The New York Times, Southampton Review, Rizzoli’s Irish America, New York Arts Magazine, and Portray.

De la Haba’s work has been exhibited internationally in numerous galleries and art shows.