Kelli Boutte’ (Saint De’won / SD1) is a visual artist and U.S. Army veteran based in Broussard, Louisiana. Working across drawing, painting, and digital design, her practice explores themes of transformation, justice, and imagination. Her work includes still lifes, graphic design addressing environmental concerns, and a deeply personal mural dedicated to her mother, who passed away from ovarian cancer in 2024.
The mural serves as both a tribute and a call to action—merging Kelli’s personal loss with a broader message about access to healthcare, the realities of chronic illness, and the inequities faced by those from underserved or economically disadvantaged communities. It stands as a visual narrative that confronts how illness does not discriminate, yet access to care often does. Through layered symbolism and expressive portraiture, the piece calls for compassion, visibility, and dignity for all, regardless of background or income.
Kelli is currently developing a comic book set in a digital apocalyptic world, where magic, memory, and alchemy collide.
Born and raised in Louisiana, she earned her BFA from the University of Houston-Downtown after years of creating art as a personal outlet. Her work has been featured in student exhibitions (2023/2025), Bayou at Your Doorstep at Discovery Green for Earth Day (2024), and will be included in the UHD Alumni Art Exhibit (2025).
Whether through traditional media or visionary storytelling, Kelli uses art as a space for reflection, resistance, and reimagining more just and inclusive realities.
