Krankie is an art exhibition by collaborative duo strawberriemilk (Emily Braswell) & warmmilkwithsugar (Jenna Rees) opening on June 6th in Los Angeles at T—Gallery. 

The duo presents an experimental video alongside a series of hybrid realistic paintings which blend both airbrush and hand-painted techniques. The work explores relatable themes of anxiety around money, obsession with fame, and bizarre happenings within seemingly mundane lives. 

Braswell and Rees have been collaborating for well over a decade from the South Eastern USA to the Caribbean – a creative partnership that began at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where they were the first to ever present a collaborative senior thesis within the visual arts boarding school program. 

Later, it was in Atlanta where they gained recognition for making large scale abstract paintings accompanied by conceptual installations that transformed spaces, such as their breakthrough show Daytona in 2018. Jumping forward to 2024, upon relocating to the U.S. Virgin Islands, they exhibited a successful exhibition, Good Luck Have Fun at 81C in Saint Thomas. Now the duo resides and continues their collaborative studio practice in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they made the body of work for Krankie. 

Artist Statement: 

KRANKIE 

This exhibition showcases a video piece and a collection of paintings that combine airbrush, hand painted realism and expressive mark making. Krankie is both the title of the show and the video piece specifically, being it is the conceptual driver for the body of work. 

Our approach for the video piece was to “make a movie” in a very amateur filmmaking sense. Playing on the relatable home video, shaky camera aesthetic while taking turns operating behind the scenes and as the actors. With lighting manipulation and voyeuristic pov, we follow two characters that live in the same small town neighborhood in 1989. A turbulent year in history, yet a mundane existence.

The two characters are unacquainted neighbors, yet they share an unabashed obsession with a hyper famous actor of their time. The compositions for the paintings were derived from the idea of treating them almost as movie posters for the films in which the fictional “actor” celebrity starred in. Whether it was a Disney classic romance, a mysterious sci-fi, a surreal action movie, or an absurdist dark comedy, the clues are layered into this meta world of the movies within the movie. 

Upon inception of this concept, we were interested in allowing our subconscious to form nonsensical scenes that once executed, spawned a nonlinear mood driven story. Through the action of semi improvised shooting, we began seeing themes of anxiety and the manifestation of childlike characteristics in adults. Obsession, indulgence and the eerie feeling of something’s wrong also came to the surface. 

We drew inspiration for the title from a coffee shop we used to frequent called Krankies in Winston Salem, NC. Located next to the train tracks, Krankies was a place where you could sit for hours and observe the counter culture characters that frequented. Smells of beans roasting, sounds of alt music playing and views of crusty southern punk kids gathering around… we sat with our moleskine notebooks out. 

Krankie is an exploration of how video art and painting can interact through visual cues. Drawing inspiration from growing up in the south and touching on our fascination with neighborhood “characters”, we landed in the 80s… with bad tattoos, down and out, anxiously awaiting life’s next simple pleasure… 

-Jenna Rees & Emily Braswell, May, 2025 

About the Venue: 

T—Gallery by TRIBE is a new and unique multi use gallery space located in Downtown Los Angeles in the fashion district. Owned and operated by the innovative creators of FRESH.I.AM., a clothing brand established in 2011 in Atlanta. The space functions as both a store and official home of their brand, as well as, a place showcasing art, design and hosting entrepreneurship related events. They provide a platform for creatives and brand owners looking to learn, expand their work and build community. 

More info: https://triibeofficial.com

81C Arts statement 

The 81C Arts team in the Virgin Islands are proud to recognize and support the creative evolution of artists Emily Braswell and Jenna Rees as they present Krankie—a compelling exhibition opening June 6th at T—Gallery in Los Angeles.

Emily and Jenna’s collaborative energy is something we have witnessed firsthand. In 2024, we had the pleasure of curating Good Luck, Have Fun at our gallery in historic downtown Charlotte Amalie. That exhibition—centered on Braswell’s richly layered airbrushed works created during her time in St. Croix—marked a powerful moment in our programming. It brought together elements of humor, fantasy, and digital aesthetics with remarkable precision, and culminated in the duo’s immersive presence during the show’s final production stages between multiple islands. Show production challenged our expectations in regard to logistics, forcing us to plan unique art handling transport between St Croix and St Thomas. Due to the extremely delicate nature of the artwork, every detail in this process was carefully evaluated before execution. This set the tone for Good Luck, Have Fun, culminating in incredible gallery patron feedback, not just for the artwork itself, but for the quality of presentation we pushed ourselves to achieve. As a gallery with four years of curatorial experience, Good Luck, Have Fun was the first show where we heard a guest say, “this is truly a museum quality immersive experience…”

Working with these artists revealed a rare combination of discipline and irreverence, structure and spontaneity. Their practice not only challenges the boundaries between mediums—painting, video, installation—but also calls attention to the emotional and surreal layers embedded in everyday life. We have witnessed the positive influence this team has had on many artists in the Virgin Islands community, not just through their artworks, but by their generous nature of social engagement rooted in celebrating ideas and artistic purpose with others.

Krankie continues that trajectory. It expands the cinematic tone and collaborative spirit we saw forming during Good Luck, Have Fun, and channels it into a new visual language that feels equally nostalgic, uncanny, and hyper-aware. 

Now based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Emily and Jenna represent a growing movement of Caribbean-based artists whose practices transcend geography. As a St. Thomas-based art and education organization, 81C Arts are committed to supporting and amplifying this energy—ensuring that voices from this region are seen, heard, and celebrated on international stages.

We encourage our audiences and partners to follow Krankie, engage with this new body of work, and continue supporting the unique vision of these artists. Their dedication, inventiveness, and collaborative chemistry are vital contributions to contemporary art today.

-Zack Zook, Executive Director, 81C Arts

More Info: 

strawberriemilk and warmmilkwithsugar can be followed on instagram: 

@strawberriemilk_ (Emily Braswell)

@warmmilkwithsugar (Jenna Rees)