Terry Urban
TERRY URBAN
Title_Deja Vu Trail
$5,200
Medium_Acrylic, aerosol, charcoal, oil and pastel on canvas
Size_36” x 48”
Year_2025
Deja Vu Trail by Terry Urban presents a haunting journey through memory and mystery. Set against a warm tan background, a solitary rider on horseback moves forward—yet their face remains obscured by a dark shadow, leaving their identity, emotions, and intent up to the viewer’s imagination. This deliberate anonymity invites a personal narrative: is the figure returning from something… or heading toward the unknown?
Floating behind them, symbolic imagery deepens the piece’s surreal atmosphere—a skull with wings evokes mortality, transformation, or a ghost from the past, while a childlike sun sketch on the opposite side adds a touch of innocence or memory, like something pulled from a distant dream. Together, these elements suggest a trail not just through a landscape, but through time, feeling, and déjà vu itself.
Terry Urban is an artist born in the blue-collar city of Cleveland, Ohio, located in the Midwest of the United States. This “underdog” town, known for its resilience and hardworking spirit, greatly influenced his art, which often reflects themes of determination, perseverance, and struggle.
Growing up in a family of Irish American heritage and under the guidance of his Cherokee stepfather, Terry developed a deep-rooted appreciation for the underdog, which serves as a central theme in much of his work. His paintings capture the human condition, often depicting dark imagery that reveals the complexities of the human psyche.
Through his artistic expression, Terry continues to showcase his unwavering spirit and profound connection to his roots. His artwork stands as a testament to the strength and resilience of the human spirit and serves as an inspiration to many.
Terry Urban specializes in creating striking compositions on both canvas and wood, skillfully combining vibrant colors with evocative imagery that often delves into themes of mortality. Despite the prevalence of such motifs throughout his work, the true impetus behind his captivation with death remains a mystery, even to himself. It could be rooted in a profound anxiety about the inevitability of death, or perhaps it’s driven by a curiosity to better understand the enigmatic realm of the afterlife.