Gabriel Gutierrez, known in performance circles as MoFundamentals, is an interdisciplinary artist whose work forges connections between ancestral memory, personal resilience, and urban cultural expression. Born in Chicago and deeply connected to his Purépecha heritage from Michoacán, Gabriel’s life and practice reflect a complex journey of migration, identity, and healing through the arts.

Raised in the U.S. foster care system and shaped by experiences of homelessness, Gabriel’s early life compelled a search for roots and belonging. These formative experiences did not fragment his identity; rather, they became the foundation for a powerful artistic voice. His performances—spanning dance, hip-hop, and rap—emerge from a deep well of memory, resistance, and renewal. Each piece is a living archive of struggle and reclamation, echoing the lives of many who navigate diaspora, disconnection, and rediscovery.  

At the heart of Gabriel’s work is a desire to revitalize and honor his Purépecha lineage. His art is not nostalgic but regenerative—interweaving traditional Purépecha aesthetics, language, and cosmology with the expressive forms of contemporary Black and Brown urban culture. In performance, he often dons a Purépecha mask carved in Michoacán, co-designed with a master artisan. Far from being a prop, the mask embodies collective memory and serves as a visual invocation of cultural survival and artistic agency.

Multilingual in English, Spanish, and in the process of learning Purépecha, Gabriel identifies as a “Purépocho”—a self-ascribed term that reflects his trifold identity as Indigenous, Mexican, and American. This trilingualism is more than linguistic; it signifies his capacity to traverse and unite multiple cultural geographies.  

In 2024, Gabriel performed at the Reencuentro Purépecha gathering in Porterville, a milestone event celebrating Purépecha identity in the San Joaquin Valley. His participation marked a powerful moment of cultural affirmation, connecting diasporic Purépecha families to their ancestral traditions through music, dance, and language. His role at the Reencuentro reflects his broader mission: to honor deep roots while inspiring vibrant, living traditions among young people in the Central Valley.