Internationally renowned for his historical, symbolic and sometimes gothic motifs, sensual dark tones, and sculpted tridimensional tiles, he has been adding fantasy and rebellion to each of his creations for over 25 years. Dickens' rescued-from-the-past relics decorate hotels, restaurants and private homes from New York to Tokyo.
Initially trained as a sculptor, Sid Dickens was quickly distinguished in the early 90s for his groundbreaking, unconventional, and prolific Memory Blocks. Describing himself as extremely motivated and a relentless beholder, Sid continues to take inspiration from his travels and constant research around the world. With numerous adoring fans and celebrity collectors like Sir Elton John, Liv Tyler, Dolce & Gabanna, Bono, Sting, Phil Collins, and Hilary Duff, his name and unique Memory Blocks are recognised worldwide.
Born in Prince Rupert from a family of fishermen in the Pacific Coast of Canada, Sid Dickens always knew his destiny was to be an artist, nurtured by his great imagination in a rugged, natural world. Sid’s father and grandfather made their living from commercial fishing, to which Sid was introduced at the age of thirteen. Working at this on and off for over a decade earned him a stringent work ethic and the funds he needed to follow his true passion: art. He studied at Vancouver's prestigious Emily Carr University of Art and Design while working at his own studio and experimenting with unusual materials which ultimately became trademark of his distinctive style.
After an inspirational trip to Europe, he went to live in Mexico to study bronze casting. In 1994, inspired by an unexpected customer who discovered his first prototype of the hand-made cast tile and immediately ordered hundreds of pieces, Sid Dickens set up his first workshop in downtown Vancouver to manufacture his work – fueling since, a formidable and ever-growing collection of Memory Blocks. Fast forward 25 years to the present day and you will find Sid splitting his time between his main studio secluded in the misty Haida Gwaii, on the Pacific Coast of Canada and his Vancouver head office and production studio.
In the Vancouver studio, Sid has his own laboratory, or as he dubs it "his cooking table" where he works his recipes and conjures up the idiosyncratic Memory Block's finishes; a mysterious and exciting den of bubbling pots, bottles of liquid and dark coloured powders.
Innovative finishes are achieved by his own process of working through experimentation with an unusual combination of materials and techniques. For some of the designs he has literally invented his own glazing formulas - structured to emphasize and challenge specific attributes of plaster and to respond to each piece's unique architectural volume.
