Mari Inukai was born in Nagoya, Japan. In 1995, along with her daughter, Sena, Mari came to the US to pursue her studies in Art. She attended Santa Monica Community College (Mentor program), Santa Monica, California, Associate in Arts, Sherman Oaks, California, and California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, California, where she received her BFA in Character Animation in 2004. Besides drawing and painting gallery work, she is often creating new animation work for clients like Nickelodeon, New York, Nylonmotion Inc, Los Angeles, and NGTV. She also designs ceramic toys, apparel and other novelties, which are sold internationally.