Ritter exhibit documents resiliency of Iraqi refugees

"What We Carried: Fragments and Memories From Iraq and Syria," a US exhibition representing the experiences of Iraqi and Syrian refugees, will be on display Sept 14th through to December 15th at Baldwin Wallace University's Ritter Library, 57 East Bagley Road. 

Freelance Photographer and author Jim Lommasson, creator of the project documenting what it means to leave everything behind, will be the guest at an opening reception and lecture at 5:15 Sept. 14 at Ritter Library. 

Lommasson invited Iraqi and Syrian refugees to share a personal item significant to their travels to America, such as a family snapshot, heirloom dish or childhood toy. He photographed each artifact and then returned a 13 by 19-inch archival print to the participant so the item could be contextualized by the owner.

Exhibition visitors will receive firsthand insight into the consideration of what objects, images and memories might be chose icon was forced to leave his home forever. "The object photos and stories can help break down stereotypes and share out common humanity and help build bridges," Lommasson said. 

"Through my project I realized that the objects and stories helped create an intimate empathy for those of us who saw them," he said. "The more powerful understanding is the realization of what was left behind. What was left behind was everything else: homes, friends, family, school, careers, culture an history." 

By Rich Heileman