Antonin Kratochvil's own refugee life shares much in common with what he has rendered on film. Kratochvil's unique style of photography is the product of personal experience and intimate conditioning rather than privileged voyeurism.

Over the years his fluid and unconventional work has been sought by numerous publications stretching across widely differing interests. From shooting Mongolia's street children for the Museum of Natural History's magazine to a portrait session with David Bowie for Detour, from covering the war in Iraq for Fortune Magazine to shooting Deborah Harry for a national advertising campaign for the American Civil Liberties Union, Kratochvil's ability to see through and into his subjects and show immutable truth has made his pictures not facsimiles but uncensored visions.

Kratochvil has received numerous awards, grants and honorable mentions dating back to 1975, including World Press Photo Awards in the categories of general news and nature and the environment. He also received a grant from Aperture publishing for his study on the fractious relationship between American civil liberties and the newly formed Department of Homeland Security.