Terry Urban x Dinner Service: Art Saved My Life

Terry Urban is more than just a fine artist—he’s a creative vagabond. His journey into the arts is filled with a series of starts and stops, beginning with his blue-collar upbringing in Cleveland. It led him from LA as an aspiring skateboarder to NYC, France, and Tokyo as a DJ, before discovering his voice as an artist and embracing a healthier, more intentional lifestyle in San Clemente, where he resides today.

“I lived in NYC for 12 years. My work used to be pretty dark, but since moving to the West Coast, it's become brighter and more influenced by Western themes."

Terry will be the first to tell you that art saved his life. It’s also been the source of validation and connection to others, especially fellow creatives.

“The thing I’ve learned most from putting my art out there and hearing people respond is that it’s actually semi-decent," he says with a chuckle. "My self-esteem around my work isn’t the best... I don’t really like a lot of what I make. But it’s nice to hear comments from people about how much they like my stuff, or how much they’ve been influenced by me. That’s probably the greatest feeling as an artist."

It’s this kind of genuine connection that draws us to artists like Terry. He’s honest and intentional in his work, and that approach carried over into our collaboration on the new Terry Urban Cardigan.

“Dinner Service had some ideas about incorporating my work into a knit cardigan. I shared some sketches, and we combined thoughts to create this great piece. Since I lived there, collaborating with a New York company is always exciting. I love their brand and what they’re doing with clothing.”

The Terry Urban Cardigan is a heavyweight cotton yarn knit, retro fit grandpa cardigan-- featuring embroidered placements on front and back of garment and with wooden buttons down the front.

What we admire most about Terry is his ability to experiment and figure things out as he goes in every aspect of his life, art, and creative practice. It’s not always a tidy process, but giving yourself permission to explore—and ultimately fail—is the first step toward living as your authentic self. It’s a blue-collar way of life: hard work directed toward what you deem important. And that’s something we at Dinner Service wholeheartedly embrace.

We’re thrilled to be partnering with Terry—an artist in every sense of the word. Here’s to wading through the challenges, but never giving up. The Terry Urban Cardigan is available now online.