What We Carried

 "Jim Lommasson reports on war, but he is an unusual war reporter. He does not take his cameras to combat zones; he does not heroicize battle or aestheticize carnage. He neither glorifies nor demeans patriotism. Instead, he brings to our attention the deadly, quiet, and long-lasting wounds that war visits upon its survivors and thus, upon all of humankind."
– Prudence Roberts, Art Historian

"What We Carried: Fragments from the Cradle of Civilization is more than a photo project, it is a multifaceted study in Psychological Anthropology. Lommasson borrows and adapts the psychoanalytic technique of free association by asking Iraqi refugees to share an item that has personal significance and meaning."
– Dr. Baher Butti, Ph.D., Former Chief Psychiatrist at Al Rashid Psychiatric Hospital, Baghdad

"What We Carried" began in 2007 when Lommasson was in the process of photographing American soldiers and collecting the oral histories that would become his book  Exit Wounds: Soldiers' Stories—Life After Iraq and Afghanistan. He became curious about Afghan and Iraqi perspectives on the war, so he began asking the refugees he met. One Iraqi woman told him, "I thank Americans for removing Saddam Hussein, but did you have to destroy our country?" –Aimee Levitt, The Chicago Reader

 "It is testament to Lommasson’s generosity of spirit that he has lent the prints in both Exit Wounds and What We Carried to venues across the country. He has tirelessly traveled to interview his subjects, to talk about this work, and to explain why it matters. In these dark and divisive times, Lommasson’s art quietly, yet firmly breaks down barriers of misunderstanding and gives voice to people who have been silenced."
– Prudence Roberts, Art Historian

"Lommasson's message is to tell the old neighbors, “Here is what happened to your new neighbors. His message to America: This is the journey of your new neighbors, they are humans, who need your empathy and compassion. By the end of the day, it is all about humanity.”
– Dr. Baher Butti, Ph.D., Former Chief Psychiatrist at Al Rashid Psychiatric Hospital, Baghdad