Under the Phasis' Sun documents present-day Poti, a town in western Georgia shaped by colonization, extraction, and abandonment. The site of the ancient Greek colony of Phasis, known in mythology as the destination of Jason’s quest for the Golden Fleece, Poti developed over centuries as a port city with growing and changing importance under Ottoman, Russian, and then Soviet control. Today, this Black Sea port is experiencing severe economic decline, existing now in the shadow of nearby Batumi, where investment and tourism flow. Once a place of promise, Poti now stands among the world’s port cities distinguished by its poverty. In its recent history, the town has also seen the exodus of young people seeking opportunities elsewhere.

The photographs are accompanied by poetry, written between 2022 and 2023, by Teona Mkheidze, a Poti-born poet and artist I met during the residency, who has since left the city. 

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.