Born in Aichi prefecture, Tadashi Ikai is a self-taught artist who gained international prominence in the early 2000s. While today Ikai is known for his delicate mezzotints featuring birds, he began his artistic career as a sculptor. It was not until the 1970s that he began his lifelong exploration of printmaking with copper etching. He participated in the College Women's Association of Japan (CWAJ) annual print show every year from 1986 until 2000. Ikai actively exhibits his bird paintings and mezzotints in Japan and beyond.