About

Mert Karataş

I push past the limits cerebral palsy tried to draw for me through art and sport, and I genuinely love travelling.

Short overview of my story

I was born in Antalya in 2000. After an oxygen problem in infancy I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. What medical textbooks treated as a low-hope prognosis turned into a long journey because my family held on to me tightly.

My childhood and teenage years swung between rehabilitation corridors and running tracks. Between physiotherapy appointments I squeezed in encyclopedia pages, sports, design and cameras. For almost everything labelled “he can’t”, I first trained my body, then my brain, step by step.

Today my life turns around three main axes: image-making and photography, music production, and writing. All of them circle around the same question: “When the mind hits a boundary, can it redraw the map?” I keep testing that question under the northern lights of Norway, in the heat of Antalya and inside the plasticity of my own brain.

In my studies and career plans, economics, data, creative industries and entrepreneurship live side by side. Long-term, I want my books and projects to become both inspiration and a sustainable life model for people living with cerebral palsy.

What am I doing these days?

You can group my work into three main streams.

Photography & image

I build a visual archive that stretches from northern lights to street details, portraits and road stories. I work with Panasonic Lumix bodies and try to keep light as natural as possible.

Music & production

On the electronic side I’m shaping my own sound identity. I use Ableton Live; the goal is to craft DJ sets that flow like a running tempo. “Phoenix”-themed sound design experiments continue in the background.

Writing & theory

I’m working on my autobiography, Feniksism texts, theoretical essays and fiction projects. I want a language where scientific doubt and personal experience walk together.

Short timeline

A few milestones, very roughly.

  • 2000–2010

    Childhood years in Antalya. A period shaped by rehabilitation and school; the years when I first started running and refused to bow to the word “impossible”.

  • 2010–2022

    Trips across Europe; my curiosity for history and architecture becomes sharper. A lasting bond forms between me and photography, while my obsession with sports and encyclopedias hits the ceiling.

  • 2022–2024

    Economics studies, a harsh confrontation with the system in Turkey, and then the decision to move to Norway.

  • 2024 →

    Moving to Norway: northern lights, a new language, a new climate. I focus on uniting photography, writing and music under a single personal brand and book projects.

A few frequently asked questions

Short answers to the questions that hit my inbox most.

How is life with cerebral palsy going?

I renegotiate with my body every single day. When planned well, running and swimming are surprisingly effective at calming involuntary contractions.

Where can I follow your photos and writing?

The main hub is mertkaratash.com and the Vidartico ecosystem.

Shortcut menu

One hub for images, journeys, writing and routines.

Visual archive Portfolio Series, projects, selections. Explore Travel stories Travel Routes spread across the years. View Writing Journal Essays, analyses, notes. Read Health & routine Motivation Training, nutrition, personal programs. Start