Gaku Tada is a visual artist, illustrator and software engineer based in New Zealand and Japan, who specialises and is well-known for his techniques in 'deep painting'. Deep painting is Tada's use of a grease pencil in 3D software that provides a stylised and painterly effect, adding a third dimension to what appears to be a brushstroke. With it, Tada's sketches and drawings come to life in three dimension, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the fantastical and idyllic worlds he creates. Inspired by his childhood watching Japanese cartoons, such as the creations of Hayao Miyazaki, or even being enraptured as far as Finland, with the work of Tove Jansson's 'The Moomins', Tada's work also aims to capture a sense of childlike wonder, magic, and imagination.

The artist started his career as VFX artist at Digital Domain, before moving on to Weta Digital and ILM. Today, he works as an artist to create stylised 3D illustrations and animations. He is also a university professor and runs online classes in his deep painting technique.