A community of artists has transformed the historic Marshall Building, 207 E. Buffalo St., into a hub of galleries and creative spaces. On the second floor, Anthony Brewer, also known as Kashes, operates his gallery and studio, Kashes Collection.
“Kashes” is derived from the middle name of his son, Louie Kash Brewer, blended with a nod to the late boxing legend and humanitarian Cassius Clay. His son also loves to paint. Brewer said he wants Kashes Collection to be for his son one day, if he chooses to carry on the business.
Brewer has built his work around the idea of breathing and mental health. In many of his paintings, there are circular swirls throughout that represent his breaths.
Growing up in the Midwest, Brewer became familiar with the visible breath of winter, an image he now tries to echo in his work.
Brewer did not originally set out to become an artist. During the pandemic, he and his wife, Betsabe Brewer, were living in Chicago. Wanting to keep her husband from spending too much time playing video games and also find an emotional outlet, Betsabe encouraged him to paint.
“There was no expectation,” Betsabe said. “It was more about release through creativity.”
What began as stress relief quickly became something more. Brewer sold his first painting for $2,000, an unexpected moment that shifted his perspective on his art and future. Then, he sold out his first show in Shorewood. He quit his tech job the next day.
The family later moved to Milwaukee to be closer to relatives. With his tech career behind him, returning home made sense.
Three years into full-time painting, Brewer describes his style as “controlled chaos.” In his canvases, shapes that touch the edges represent exhales, and shapes in the center signify inhales. The rhythm reflects his belief that presence, even in anxiety, creates a balance.
His son, Louie, has also influenced the technique that defines his work. One day, Brewer handed him a paint roller covered in different colors. Louis rolled it across the surface, creating a gradient effect his father had been trying to master.
“He found the technique and aesthetic I was looking for,” Brewer said.
Brewer tells clients each painting is meant to serve as a reminder to slow down and breathe. Collectors have shared how his work helped them through difficult days. A lung cancer survivor once stood in front of his painting and cried, grateful for the simple act of breathing.
“It’s the first thing you do when you wake up,” Brewer said. “We shouldn’t take it for granted.”
Rejecting the “starving artist” narrative, Brewer calls himself a “20% artist, 80% entrepreneur.” By selling directly to collectors and keeping prices accessible, he hopes more people can own his art.
Brewer said he feels grateful to have found work that feels purposeful. Besides painting, he mentors emerging artists and plans to launch a podcast focused on art investment and ownership.
Above all, Brewer wants his work to serve as a reminder to breathe.
“In order to do the impossible,” he said, “just take the breath that you need.”
Editor’s note: Bevin Christie, Anthony Brewer’s mother, is a staff member at NNS.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
