“My work explores the psychological dynamics of power, vulnerability, and perception—how figures interact with one another, how we perceive ourselves, how we navigate ourselves in the world,” Thoermer says. She sets up scenes of “quiet scrutiny, where body language and gaze suggest the tension between intimacy and intrusion” in her works. She is influenced too by Jungian ideas of the shadow self – overpowering shadows appear as a motif in recent works, symbols of the parts of ourselves we struggle to control.

Thoermer’s champion for The Wick is Leslie Ramos, advisor and founder of The Twentieth. She said: “I’ve known Marianne for over a decade now, since she was a student at the Royal Academy Schools. I’ve always found her work mesmerising, like stepping into a dream you half-remember: familiar, strange, and deeply emotional. What strikes me most is the way she lets materials speak for themselves, without trying to control them. Whether in her early works with textiles and glass or her more recent canvases, she creates psychological landscapes you feel drawn to inhabit.

There’s a quiet courage in her refusal to over-explain; instead, she invites the viewer to engage freely and to bring their own interpretations, feelings, and perspectives. Her practice is rooted in connection, questioning, and exploration. And there’s a sincerity at the heart of everything she does, which means that even as her work continues to evolve, it remains grounded in something deeply personal and profoundly universal.”

The new body of work Thoermer is currently immersed in creating continues to tread this line between the intimate and the interior, and something bigger beyond it. The dreamy, textural oil compositions with their fluent brushwork and emotive palettes tread new territory for the artist. Thoermer has also recently started working with life models, choreographing the figures in her scenes with real people, “which brings a tangible immediacy to these themes, grounding emotional undercurrents in lived experience.”

Asked what the rising star’s greatest achievement has been in career so far, Thoermer reflects: “developing a consistent and authentic voice within my practice—something that has taken shape over time through reflection, persistence, and trust in the process.”

“Showing my work in thoughtful contexts, such as solo presentations or being collected by individuals who genuinely connect with it, has been deeply rewarding”, she adds, “but above all, the ongoing evolution of my practice—its ability to deepen and grow—feels like the most valuable accomplishment.