• Overview
    "Art saved my life."

    Terry Urban is a contemporary American artist whose work fuses expressive intensity with layered symbolism. Born and raised in the industrial landscape of Cleveland, Ohio, Urban draws deeply from his working-class upbringing and personal heritage. His roots in an Irish American family, shaped further by the presence of a Cherokee stepfather, forged a perspective steeped in resilience, hardship, and a quiet loyalty to the underdog.

    Urban's path to becoming an artist was anything but linear - shaped by false starts, detours, and reinventions. He chased early dreams from the skate scene of Los Angeles to DJ sets in New York, France, and Tokyo. Along the way, he navigated the chaos of nightlife and creative burnout before ultimately finding his voice as a visual artist. Today, he lives and works in San Clemente, where a slower, more intentional rhythm of life fuels his art and personal renewal.

    Urban's paintings pulse with emotional contrast - rich in bold color, raw texture, and a fascination with mortality. Working across canvas and wood, he constructs a mythic, often turbulent visual world populated by skulls, bones, and fragmented figures. These recurring symbols serve as meditations on impermanence, vulnerability, and the fractures within the self. Despite their dark undertones, his compositions never feel static; they radiate with a tense vitality and a restless search for meaning beneath the surface.

    At the core of Urban's practice is a commitment to authenticity - an unflinching gaze turned inward, toward the ghosts of origin and the grit of lived experience. His work pushes past aesthetics, aiming instead to capture something elemental about the human condition. Through his exploration of loss, identity, and endurance, Urban has built a body of work that feels immediate, unfiltered, and deeply alive.

  • Works
    • After We Die
      Terry Urban
      After We Die
    • Stop the Train, I Want to Get Off
      Terry Urban
      Stop the Train, I Want to Get Off
    • Showdown at Rodeo Motel
      Terry Urban
      Showdown at Rodeo Motel, 2024
    • The Proposal
      Terry Urban
      The Proposal, 2024
    • The Serpent Queen II
      Terry Urban
      The Serpent Queen II, 2024
    • A Real Rain
      Terry Urban
      A Real Rain, 2025
    • After Forever
      Terry Urban
      After Forever, 2025
    • Flowers in my Heart, Demons in my Head
      Terry Urban
      Flowers in my Heart, Demons in my Head, 2025
    • Honky Tonk Angel
      Terry Urban
      Honky Tonk Angel, 2025
    • Living to be Lying by Your Side
      Terry Urban
      Living to be Lying by Your Side, 2025
    • No Expectations to Pass Through Here Again
      Terry Urban
      No Expectations to Pass Through Here Again, 2025
    • Ol' Girl Blues
      Terry Urban
      Ol' Girl Blues, 2025
    • One Last Ride
      Terry Urban
      One Last Ride, 2025
    • Outlaw Blues
      Terry Urban
      Outlaw Blues, 2025
    • Rattlesnake Lover
      Terry Urban
      Rattlesnake Lover, 2025
    • Tejas Two Step
      Terry Urban
      Tejas Two Step, 2025
    • The Grevious Angel
      Terry Urban
      The Grevious Angel, 2025
    • The Journey To You
      Terry Urban
      The Journey To You, 2025
    • The Well Has Run Dry
      Terry Urban
      The Well Has Run Dry, 2025
    • These Days
      Terry Urban
      These Days, 2025
    • Tres Amigos
      Terry Urban
      Tres Amigos, 2025
  • News