Thomke Meyer is a Hamburg-based illustrator with a forensic eye for line and an instinct for atmosphere. Coming from a non-academic family with no connection to the arts, Thomke taught herself much of the way, and brings that sense of responsibility to every brief.

The work carries a melancholy that softens as the drawing happens. Her practice centres on line – how it behaves, what arises from small accidents. Her references range from German folklore to Japanese architecture – knitted together in an illustrative style that is always precise, evocative and unmistakably hers. Look out for detours through the eerie children’s stories of her childhood – from Moomins to Nils Holgerson and Watership Down.

What makes you different?

“My work opens up new worlds, characterised by attention to detail and sensitivity. I want to make viewers aware of the expressive power of lines – to let them perceive shapes and colours that captivate, and escape into an alternative reality for a moment”.