Hmong photography exhibit on display in Los Angeles

Photographer KC Ortiz has a new exhibition at the Known Gallery in LA entitled "Forced Rebellion." "Forced Rebellion" is a collection of photos Ortiz shot during his recent stay in the Hmong jungle in Laos.
In the 1960s, the CIA recruited the Hmong people to fight the Communist forces during the Vietnam War in what is known as the "Secret War." The Hmong became known as some of the best guerrilla fighters in the world, fighting the Communist forces on America's behalf. When the US withdrew its forces in the region, it left many of the Hmong to fend for themselves. Many attempted to flee to Thailand as refugees, but thousands were killed by Vietnamese and Lao forces during that journey. Some returned to their villages to suffer death and prison sentences, many fled to the remote mountains to escape, and today, some 5,000 Hmong veterans of the CIA's secret war and their descendants remain hiding in those mountains, still defending themselves against Laos and Vietnamese forces. More recently, the Laos' government has asked the Thai government to deport more than 4,000 Hmong refugees back to Laos, which worries many of the refugees.
Ortiz's work captures the Hmong people in their daily lives, as they struggle to make it through each day.

His work is on display at Los Angeles' Known Gallery until June 12:
Forced Rebellion by KC Ortiz
Known Gallery
441 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
310-860-6263
May 22, 2010 - June 12, 2010
Hours during shows:
Wednesday thru Saturday: 11am - 7pm
Sunday: noon - 6pm
For more information on Ortiz and his other work, click here.

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