Teo was one of the first locals I met in Poti, a poet and artist who has since left the city. A port on Georgia’s Black Sea coast, Poti sits in the shadow of Batumi, where investments and tourists flow. The place that once held promise, among the port cities of the world, Poti is distinguished by its poverty, and has seen an exodus of young people seeking opportunities elsewhere.

Poetry excerpts, written between 2022 and 2023, by Teo Mkheidze, a poet and an artist from Poti. 

The series was created as part of art residency “Black Sea” (შავი ზღვა) and was part of a group exhibition in Poti, Georgia from 15 to 23 December 2023.

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*Phasis is the ancient Greek name for Poti and the surrounding region of Colchis, known in mythology as the destination of Jason’s quest for the Golden Fleece.