Mehtap Baydu, born in Bingöl, Turkey, lives and works in Berlin. After studying fine arts/sculpture at Erciyes University, Kayseri, and Hacettepe University, Ankara, she completed her diploma at the Kunsthochschule Kassel, where she was a master’s degree student in Dorothee von Windheim’s class. Baydu focuses on gender roles and sensitive religious and political issues in multicultural contexts. She engages the audience in her performances and challenges them with symbolic objects and situations. In addition to performance and installation, she uses sculpture and photography as media to best express and communicate her artistic concerns. Her works have been shown at numerous venues, including Durchlässigkeit, Galerie Nordhorn (solo exhibition, 2022), State and Nature, Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden (2021), Alone Together, STUK, Leuven, Belgium (2019-2020), Words Are Very Unnecessary, Arter, ­Istanbul (2019- 2020) and Cuma, Edition Block, Berlin (solo exhibition, 2018). In 2021, she received the Art Award of the Städtische Galerie Nordhorn.

Mehtap Baydu was a resident at Tarabya Cultural Academy from February to September 2020 and again from October to November 2022.