Marleen Johow studied stage and costume design under Katrin Brack at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich from 2018 until her graduation in 2024.

In 2023 she was a scholarship holder of the Brigitte and Ekkehard Grübler Foundation.

Prior to this, she trained as an interior decorator at the Münchner Kammerspiele from 2015 to 2018, which she successfully completed with her journeyman's examination.

She began working as a freelance artist during her studies. She designs and creates spaces and costumes for film, theater, photo productions and exhibitions.

Her work has been shown at the Münchner Kammerspiele, the Junges Schauspielhaus Hamburg, Staatstheater Kassel, Theater Osnabrück, Theater Münster, Theater Mainz, Schauspiel Köln, Theater Essen and the bat-Studiotheater, among others.

Marleen Johow was nominated by "Theater heute" in the category "Best Newcomer in Stage & Costumes" of the year 24/25" for her set design for the production "Wunder" at Osnabrück Theatre.