Haylie Jimenez was born in Orlando and raised in Chattanooga. She later moved to Chicago to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA 2020). Finding BIPOC Queer community in Chicago and her long-lasting relationships with friends and family in Tennessee were and are a pivotal influence for her work, which surrounds the importance of belonging, collective care, self-expression, and moving through hardships to times of joy together within these communities.