Click here to add text.Sid Dickens
For artist Sid Dickens, there is magic in the past. “People like to feel they are an integral part of the story of humanity, and my tiles have the weight and feel of another era, a time when things were more permanent and long lasting. I think it’s this aspect of the tiles that makes people want to reach out, in essence, they want to touch history”
Dickens brings these relics of the past to new life in his decorative tiles, Memory Blocks, which have received international acclaim, and now decorate hotels, restaurants, and private homes from New York to Tokyo.
Born in 1962 in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Dickens always new he would be an artist. After studying at Emily Carr School of Art in Vancouver, he rented his own studio and experimented with collage and oil paint. He quickly developed a recognizable style that began to generate interest and excitement.
In 1997, after an inspirational trip to Europe, Dickens moved to a remote waterfront studio where he experimented with unusual materials: whale bones, leaves, metal and wire. Continuing to expand his creative repertoire, Dickens headed to the Instituto De Allende in San Miguel, Mexico, to study bronzes casting. Returning to Vancouver in 1991, he finally discovered his perfect medium – plaster. Immediately, he created what would be the first prototypes in a series of decorative tiles. Originally, I created large panels with many elements. The smaller tile format allows me to take my fine art and take it apart focusing on one or two ideas. People can take the elements they like and mix and match tiles on their walls to create their own personal style,” says Dickens.
Describing himself as extremely motivated, in just a few years Sid Dickens Studio grew from a “one man show” to a company which employees a full time staff of artisans. Today with a strong team behind him, Sid is experimenting with new media, licensing his designs world wide, and transforming small chunks of history into contemporary art.
Sid Dickens continues to take inspiration from his travels and carries out his research around the world. Much of the collection was distilled from bookshops, museums, and historical architecture from around the world.
