Born in Toronto in 1966, Urban completed his undergraduate degrees at York University in 1989, graduating with a BA in English Literature and a BFA in Visual Arts (Painting/Drawing). He received his MA in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Windsor in 1991, and his MFA in Visual Arts (Painting/Drawing) from the University of Guelph in 1994. Urban's critically acclaimed abstract paintings have become well known for their signature wandering lines, textured surfaces, and distinctive colour. The artist works within the history of modernist painting, simultaneously advancing the language of abstraction and challenging its borders.