Dennys Ilic Explores the Human Side of Hollywood at Leica Gallery LA
ENTERTAINMENT
Leica Gallery Los Angeles presents Hollywood Black and White, an exhibition by photographer Dennys Ilic.
Leica Gallery Los Angeles presents Hollywood Black and White, an exhibition by photographer Dennys Ilic, opening Thursday, January 15, 2026, and on view through March 2, 2026. The exhibition brings together a selection of black-and-white portraits and scenes that reflect Ilic's long-standing focus on intimacy, restraint, and the direct relationship between photographer and subject.
Ilic is known for his ability to put subjects at ease, whether they are widely recognized figures or individuals encountered outside the public eye. His photographs resist theatricality, favoring moments of quiet presence. Hollywood Black and White offers an alternative view of Hollywood, one shaped less by image-making as performance and more by attentiveness, vulnerability, and reflection.
Working exclusively in monochrome, Ilic pares the image down to its essentials. Gesture, expression, and subtle shifts in mood take precedence over visual excess. His approach minimizes distraction, allowing the viewer to engage with the subject on a more personal level. Across portraits of actors, artists, and anonymous sitters alike, the work is grounded in trust rather than display.
The exhibition brings together photographs made over time that share a consistent visual and emotional sensibility. These images are unconcerned with status or persona, focusing instead on the presence of the individual. In this way, Hollywood Black and White repositions Hollywood not as an industry, but as a lived environment shaped by human experience.
At a time when photography is often driven by speed, saturation, and constant circulation, Ilic's work asks for a slower kind of attention. This exhibition underscores photography's quieter capacities: patience, observation, and emotional clarity. Presented at Leica Gallery Los Angeles, the work engages directly with a city built on images while gently pushing back against its most familiar visual tropes.
Leica cameras are central to Ilic's practice, supporting the unobtrusive, intuitive way he works with his subjects. The compact form and quiet operation of Leica rangefinder systems allow him to remain present during the photographic encounter, maintaining a natural rhythm and sense of exchange. This relationship between artist and instrument reflects Leica's emphasis on precision, discretion, and thoughtful image-making.
"Reflecting on a lifelong pursuit of the quiet, one-to-one connection between photographer and subject, I work to strip away distraction and noise from the shooting process. In returning to the purity of monochrome, my hope is to reveal the introspective presence that exists beneath the surface."
— Dennys Ilic
Exhibition Dates:
January 15 – March 2, 2026
Exhibition Hours:
Leica Gallery Los Angeles is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, and Sunday from 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM.