Harmonia Rosales was born to parents Giraldo Rosales and Melodye Benson Rosales, who are both incredibly caring and supportive. The biggest advocate in her life is her mother.

She didn't start to be attracted by the old masters and their ability to convey a tale in just one picture until her mother took her to The Art Institute of Chicago.

Her father Giraldo, who served as the Assistant Director, ODEA at the University of Illinois Urbana-Office Champaign's of the Chancellor, frequently filled the home with the sounds of his congo playing and his Lucumi heritage. 

Melodye Rosales, a children's book author and illustrator, would draw on her African-American heritage to retell well-known children's tales with characters of color.

Despite having a West Indian mother, Melodye's skin hue and hair texture presented ongoing challenges in her development.

Rosales delicately incorporates her struggles and cultural heritage into her artwork to subtly question the audience' perceptions of identity and empowerment. Rosales' parents had ancestries that are deeply anchored along the coast of West Africa.

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