Tadashi Tokieda grew up as a painter in Japan, but became a classical philologist (not to be confused with philosopher) in France, before switching to mathematics, then physics, late in life.  Currently he is a professor at Stanford; previously he was for many years a director of studies in mathematics in Cambridge.  He is active in outreach, especially via the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences with which he has had a close association since the time of its foundation.  He gave a plenary public lecture at the last International Congress of Mathematicians, in Rio de Janeiro, 2018.