Biography
Harmonia Rosales was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1984. At the age of five, Rosales’ parents, her mother a children’s book author and illustrator and her father working at a university, made the decision to move to the town of Champaign, Illinois to offer their children a better environment to grow up. Her home life was rich, filled with watching her mother create art, listening to her Cuban father’s salsa music, and frequent trips to the Art Institute of Chicago. The artistic seed was planted early on as she sat under her mother’s art table and copied her every movement.
Rosales, a self-taught artist, has picked up technique through acute observation of historical paintings. She identifies as an observer, which has contributed to her now innate sense of anatomy, bone structure, and light play. Her observation combined with her intuition, guide her painting style and allow her to create without outlines.
After divorcing her college sweetheart and having the responsibility of caring for two kids as a single mother, Rosales found empowerment in setting a good example for them by doing what she loved- painting. She gained independence and discovered herself during this period. Rosales settled on a classical style after deciding to reject current trends towards abstract or photorealistic contemporary art.
Rosales’ piece “T.H.OT.” was awarded first place in the Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition at the Children’s Museum of Science and Industry. Her work has also been featured in prominent media outlets such as Buzzfeed, BET, Now This Her, The Huffington Post, and The New York Post and has gained support from public figures including Samuel L. Jackson, Willow Smith, and Erykah Badu.
Rosales hopes that her work will encourage the viewer to think about current issues, and that it will empower and uplift women, starting with her daughter. She aims to do good via her art and promote awareness of social iniquities.
Rosales’ first solo show, “Black Imaginary to Counter Hegemony” was at Simard Bilodeau Contemporary in Los Angeles in September 2017.
Rosales direction with this collection was, “Replacing the white male figures (the most represented) with people I believe have been the least represented. By contemporizing the meaning behind these iconic paintings, we can begin to recondition our minds to accept new concepts of human value.” The show quickly sold out and was featured positively in The Los Angeles Times and other media outlets.
Since her first solo show, Rosales’ social media presence has skyrocketed. Because of the relevant and urgent nature of Rosales’ motifs such as representation, feminism, religion, et cetera, her work resonates with a large population within which many of whom have not related to contemporary or historical art. With this following, she wields a strong influence and her new works immediately stir interest and inquiry.
Artist Statement
I believe in creating artwork with meaning; meaning with impact, moving people to see the world differently and to be guided by that new vision. Based in Chicago, my inspiration arises from living life as a woman of color. My art is born out of a combination of my love for history, thirst for endless new knowledge, and dedication to social action. In refining my work, I have shaped a unique perspective built on the foundation of an appreciation of traditional expression and form, with structure and story that creates a bold new contemporary counter narrative–on the elements of the story, as well as the elements of the process of storytelling. Art is my weapon in the ongoing battle against indifference and inaction. It forms the basis of resistance.
