2022 HypeBeast 100: Easy Otabor

  • December 19, 2022
  • 2 Min Read
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Chicago native Isimeme “Easy” Otabor is a multi-hyphenate figure in the industry who has worn more hats than one could count. From being a streetwear buyer to designer and founder of the clothing brand Infinite Archives, Easy is a cultural tastemaker who is the ultimate definition of a forward thinker. A few years back in 2019, Easy founded Anthony Gallery which focuses on spotlighting both emerging and established contemporary artists of the African and Black American identity.

Over the years, the gallery has presented various selections of solo and group exhibitions that highlight the importance of Black art, space and of course, artists. With Anthony Gallery, Easy has been a vocal and strong advocate for expanding the art world to the African and Black American community by bringing people together and educating others through artistic intent. Easy was able to do just that in a partnership earlier this year with Theaster Gates, an artist well-known for rallying for social justice, and the Rebuild Foundation, which is a not-for-profit organization, that provides free art programming that transforms vacant structures in Chicago’s South Side into cultural institutions.

Easy’s vision is to create more bridges and putting people in a room that wouldn’t normally come together, conveying the message that dreams and visions do have the ability to come true. With his gallery, Easy provides a catalyst for voices in the Black and Brown spaces that represent what can be possible while also fostering artistic collaborations and partnerships.