Near Jvari, 2012
When I first came to Georgia I arrived with an open but uninformed mind. I was invited to take part in an international group exhibition at the Tbilisi History Museum with some of my wunderland works. Before I left for Tbilisi, my attempts at researching information about Georgia were not crowned with great success, so upon arrival my insights were limited to knowing the geographical location, that it was a former Soviet Republic, that their last war with Russia was in 2008 and that times were still challenging for the country and its people.
The following two weeks were an eye opening experience. I was introduced to the rich history and most of all to the almost unparalleled hospitality of the Georgians. We would spend time in Tbilisi, were invited into peoples homes and taken on trips throughout the country. When I left, my social media summary read „With Georgia on my mind I came, and with Georgia in my heart I left“.
This was in 2011 and it was the first of several trips to come. Each time I would see more, learn something new but leave with more questions than answers. Giving me even more reasons to come back.