Under the Phasis' Sun explores present-day Poti, a town in western Georgia shaped by colonization and extraction. 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. Yet today, this Black Sea port exists in the shadow of nearby Batumi, where investment and tourism flow. Once a place of promise, Poti is now seeing the exodus of young people seeking opportunities elsewhere.

The photographs are accompanied by fragments of 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 were created during the art residency “Black Sea” (შავი ზღვა) in Poti, Georgia and were part of a group exhibition at the residency from 15 to 23 December 2023.