Born and raised in Michigan, the son of two artists, Thaddeus Radell completed his B.F.A. at University of Detroit/Mercy before moving to New York City to study at Parsons School of Design. Soon after receiving his M.F.A. in 1982, Radell moved to France where he spent the next fourteen years, dividing his time between his studios in Provence and Paris. Returning to New York City in 2000, he has taught painting and drawing at the college level since 2005. He exhibits and curates regularly in New York City.