Dadi Wirz was born in Switzerland in 1931. He spent much of his youth traveling with his father to Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Wirz was educated at the state school for applied and fine arts in Basel, Switzerland (1946-1950), apprenticed in photography with Schwitter S.A. photo engravers in Basel (1947-1950), and trained in Paris at Atelier 17 (1950-1952), and the Ecole du Louvre (1951). After his studies in Paris, Wirz joined his father on a trip to the South Pacific with a focus on New Guinea, where Dadi Wirz assisted his father's research with photography and film making. During this time, Dadi Wirz developed a particular interest in the art from the Sepik area, a subject on which he has since lectured at museums and universities in the United States and Europe. Photographer, artist, and printmaker, Wirz has taught at Atelier 17, Ohio State University, Pratt Graphic Art Center, Rhode Island School of Design, and elsewhere.