"A photograph by Michael Katakis is an exercise in clarity, economy and purpose. Everything, from his respect for his subjects to his eloquent use of light, shows a quiet and powerful confidence at work. His photographs treat the world with dignity."

Michael Palin
London

"In an era when the boundaries and meaning of photographic truth become increasingly confused, Michael Katakis' works retains a refreshing and moving commitment to the values of 'straight' photography, for which the central requirements have always been an inquisitive eye and an open spirit. Whether recording heart-rending tributes and mementoes of the visitors to the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, rural life in China, or the daily life of a village in Sierra Leone before the ravages of war, his subjects are accorded the non-judgmental empathy and emotional democracy that form the core of that tradition. The concerns implicit in these images become both scarcer and more urgent by the day."

John Falconer
Curator of Photographs, The British Library