John Urbain (1922-2009) was born in Belgium, but the Urbains soon came to the United States in 1922 and settled in Detroit. John's artistic talent was recognized at an early age, and lacking the funds for art school, his father posed for drawing classes at the Cranbrook School, Bloomfied Hills, Michigan so that John could participate. His father also arranged for him to attend Cass Technical School in Detroit, Michigan where he continued his focus on art. Urbain served in the Army from 1941 to 1945. At Fort Custer in Battle Creek, Michigan, his artistic abilities were quickly recognized and he was assigned to the Army Illustrators. He was later transferred to the front, saw action in the ETO and was wounded in the Black Forest of Germany.

After the war, on the recommendation of Ray Johnson, John attended Black Mountain College, Asheville, NC using the G.I. Bill. It was while at Black Mountain that he met and studied under Joseph Albers who would prove to be a major influence on the artist. His exploration of line, space, color, materials and surfaces and the manner in which each affects the other became the dominant perspective from which Urbain would approach the making of art throughout his life.

In 1950 John and his wife, Elaine Schmitt Urbain, moved to Paris, France where John continued his studies at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere and the Academie Julien. Upon their return to the United States in 1953, John became Art Director for Philip Morris Company and helped them to acquire an outstanding and diverse art collection. John continued his work with Philip Morris until his retirement. Urbain was a working artist all his life. The work was always more important then commercial success. He was continually excited by the process and had a way of making his work personal, almost magical without being sentimental. True to his Black Mountain roots Urbain was also a poet, published in small magazines and the New York Quarterly.