Leilani Nobuko Derr

Mural Location: 2525 Frontier Ave. Boulder, CO 80302 (Junkyard Social Club)

Leilani’s mural focuses on reproductive rights, and especially the need to acknowledge how access to reproductive healthcare affects minority communities. Abortion is healthcare! 

The viewer is immediately struck by the phrase “Protect the Bodily Sovereignty of All People,” which loudly proclaims Leilani’s intended message regarding reproductive rights. She carefully chooses the words “all people” rather than “women” to include all people with uteruses, especially the queer and trans community. Local flora surrounds a two-headed snake that rears its fangs as if ready to attack. The snake’s body twists around itself to form the shape of a uterus, recalling the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag but with a radical leftist twist: Don’t Tread on My Uterus!  

Leilani partnered with the Colorado Doula Project for this mural. @coloradodoulaproject is a grassroots non-profit organization that provides free logistical and emotional support for people accessing abortion care in Colorado. They provide practical support and abortion doula services for clients before, during, and after the procedure.

About the Artist:

@puppydrawsthings

I am a visual storyteller who explores thought-provoking themes through playful illustrations, art, and design. I believe great design tells a story and all beings have meaningful stories to tell. I draw inspiration from my Colorado environment, cultural identity, and community collaboration and activism. A decade of work in public libraries has reinforced an importance of storytelling in all aspects of my art and has influenced the overall playful and nostalgic tone of my illustrations. Working in nonprofits has shown me the intense need for becoming a vector for kindness, empathy, and authenticity and the value of using my skills as an artist towards societal good.