‘It was scary as hell moving back to painting

Marianne Pasmans’ story is one of those rare and inspiring tales of creativity triumphing over the corporate world.

It’s not often that a successful banker relinquishes a fast-paced lucrative life of finance to pursue a life-long passion for art. But 12 months ago Marianne did exactly that.

After 13 years working in the finance industry in Bahrain, Marianne put down her spreadsheets and picked up a paint brush.

“It was scary as hell moving back to painting,” she says, “it’s like learning to ride a bicycle again after a long time and settling back into it takes time. I had grown and changed so much. But in many ways it was helpful because it gave me a clean pallet to work from.”

At the same time Marianne also established her own graphic, furniture and interior design company, Pasmans Design. After not picking up a brush for 13 years, her appetite for painting means that the hours she works in her studio at home are as long as those she worked in a bank.

In the short space of one year, Marianne has amassed an astonishing and varied collection of paintings.

The walls of her Hamala home are lined with her art work. Canvases intricately layered with acrylic paint vary in size from a few feet to a few metres, and in subject matter from landscapes to abstract representations.

A theme of blue runs through the collection. Pausing at one striking painting called Turquoise, she explains that is was her first attempt at painting again.

“It was challenging but I am very happy with it,” she says. “You tend to set yourself a theme, you say to yourself what it is you want to do and then set a language from which you can work from concept to concept.

“I think about the painting and their progression when I go to bed. I visualise certain dynamics and strokes and technicalities.”

Marianne, born in the Netherlands, began drawing from an early age, inspired by her city planner and architect father.

After high school, she was selected from hundreds of applicants to attend the prestigious Academy of Fine Arts in Maastricht in 1982.

Art and design dominated Marianne’s life until moving to Bahrain in 1994 in search of adventure.

A brief stint at the Ministry of Information was followed by a succession of various positions at international investment banks. But a full time job with long hours at times meant that painting and design were pushed to the sideline. But unlike most, over a decade down the line, she found the courage to once again pursue it.

A few months ago Marianne had the satisfaction of being approached for her first commission since she sold fabric designs in Europe.

“A couple asked me to create two large paintings,” she explains. “They showed me the interior of their home and I showed them my ideas and they loved it. It’s wonderful to do commissions for people. It sets a framework for me to work from.”

Marianne’s remarkable ability to capture light, form, texture and colour on canvas will soon be revealed to all of Bahrain’s art-lovers. 

In November, Marianne will hold an exhibition of her work at her residence.