Easy Otabor and Adeshola Makinde Discuss Identity and Intention within Art

The latest conversation for Forever Emerging, an original series from In The Know by Yahoo, explores Chicago’s emerging art scene with Easy Otabor and Adeshola Makinde. Each episode connects established creatives like Easy, who found his curatorial voice while working as a buyer at RSVP Gallery, with rising stars like Adeshola Makinde, a 32-year-old multidisciplinary artist, to share how dynamic ideas spark from their creative synthesis.

Founded in 2019, Anthony Gallery offers contemporary artists opportunities to show works centered around African and Black American identity. Easy welcomes Forever Emerging into his space before reflecting on moments that helped him realize how fashion and art can be combined in new ways, “Sterling Ruby and Raf Simons… Seeing these artists that I wouldn’t normally see if it wasn’t for these people that decided to bridge this gap. I’m trying to be the same bridge for the next generation.” By curating young artists like Adeshola, Easy transcends the barriers of the traditional art world with extreme style.

Pulling magazines from the ’70s and vintage issues of Ebony as source material, Adeshola creates images of society that feel real and relatable. Easy explains that “I feel seen, you know? When I see his work, I feel like, ‘Man, finally someone’s telling our story in our way.’” While both Chicago locals share a unique ability to capture the communities around them, Adeshola adds, “Something I’ve learned from Easy is learning how to be incredibly intentional about how you give back.” Together, the creative duo is able to passionately speak to the next generation while bringing their latest ideas to life.