After training at Central St Martins School of Art and Design and the Slade School of Fine Art, Merle lived and worked in both London and Berlin.

Theatre credits include ‘Together We Are Divided’ ( Cochrane Theatre); ‘timespace’ ( design for London performance exhibition 1995-99); ‘Ippolit’ (Sophiensaale, Berlin; Schauspielhaus Zürich; Münchner Kammerspiele); ‚Kupsch’ (Deutsches Theater, Göttingen); ‚Maria Stuarda’ (Vereinigte Bühnen, Mönchengladbach/Krefeld); ‚Der Vetter aus Dingsda’ (Oper Graz, Austria); ‚Münchausen, Herr der Lügen’ (Neuköllner Oper, Berlin). Film credits include: ‚Baby’ and ‘Die Flucht’ (directed by Phillip Stölzl); ‘Blinde Kuh’ (directed by Sebastian Orlac), ‘Picasso zieht um’ (directed by Uljana Haveman).

Merle is also a freelance lecturer (Goldsmith University, Central St Martins School of Art and Design).