The Fahey/Klein Gallery is pleased to present Soft White Underbelly, an exhibition of photographic works by Mark Laita. This powerful series reveals raw and real glimpses of humanity’s most vulnerable communities, encouraging a conversation around the individuals and realities that often go unseen.
Soft White Underbelly, a metaphor for vulnerability, was born from Laita’s 2009 photo series Created Equal. These new portraits, shot against stark and simple backdrops, highlight the individuality and humanity of his subjects. By emphasizing the lived experiences of his sitters, Laita’s photographs eschew judgment and focus instead on storytelling. Each image in the series captures a sense of unguarded honesty and reflects the vulnerability and complexity of life on the edges of society. Soft White Underbelly explores how a photograph can serve as a document of a person’s state at a specific moment in time.
The Soft White Underbelly project has garnered international attention through its accompanying video interviews, which have amassed over a billion views. This exhibition offers an opportunity to experience these works in a new context—up close, and on a scale that allows for deeper reflection on the stories behind the faces.
“In my view, my video interviews and portraits are character studies that attempt to reveal what’s behind our tendency to self-destruct.”
Mark Laita, a Los Angeles-based photographer, is renowned for his striking portraiture and meticulous attention to detail. Raised in Detroit and Chicago, Laita discovered his passion for photography at fifteen, documenting Chicago’s homeless population—a project that evolved over three decades. He holds a photography degree from Columbia College and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Laita’s work has been exhibited internationally and is included in prominent public and private collections. He currently divides his time between Los Angeles and New York City.
Mark Laita
Soft White Underbelly
January 16 – March 1, 2025
Fahey/Klein Gallery
www.faheykleingallery.com
Caroline, Heroin Addicted Prostitute, Skid Row, Los Angeles, 2010.
Max and Sid, Drug Addicted Couple, Skid Row, Los Angeles, 2022
Mary Magdalene, Plastic Surgery Addict, West Hollywood, California, 2022
Rene, Prostitute, Figueroa Street, South Central LA, 2024
Izzy, Recovering Drug Addict and Sex Worker, Los Angeles, 2022
Crazy, Train Hopper, Skid Row, Los Angeles, 2022
Johnny, Ex Gang Member, Los Angeles, 2023
