Bilge Keskin aka Young Blood Sucker

I am Bilge. I call myself a ‘young bloodsucker’ as an artist. Even though it doesn’t sound so fancy, I find this name really close to myself. Because of disassociation since my childhood and masking, I question my identity for a long time. I find myself creating an identity by picking up traits that I find attractive to others in order to be accepted. So, young bloodsucker is a representation of that personality vampire trait I try to question. I am 23 years old and I am from Turkey. Now for 4 years I have been living and studying art in Belgium. First, I started studying medicine then I got into a deep depression during my studies and I found myself painting a lot so I changed my studies to painting. I create mixed media paintings and practice Butoh dance, exploring the intersection of mental health, identity, and societal norms. My art delves into the challenges of growing up with mental illnesses, particularly depression, anxiety, and dissociation. At the moment I have an unofficial autism diagnosis from my therapist and I will try to get an official diagnosis but it is a bit expensive so I am waiting. I am currently interested in neurodivergent groups and I want to make an impact on that subject through my art and my artistic research. I believe that neurodivergent people can add a lot to society but first, we need to support each other by showing others that all identities are acceptable and there is no right way to behave and use your body. Currently, I'm delving into the use of the body in a social context, exploring stims that may have been masked and seeking a deeper understanding of what my body truly desires.