ABOUT THE ARTIST – SID DICKENS

Sidney Michael Dickens was born in1963 in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. In 1983, he was accepted to the prestigious Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver. The following year he established his first studio, and began to develop the process of practices, which have evolved into his various lines of fine art, interior décor and designs.

In 1987, after an inspirational trip to Europe, which Dickens regards as pivotal to his artistic development, he moved to a remote waterfront studio in the Queen Charlotte Islands. The elemental beauty of this secluded and mythic wilderness expanded Dickens’ vision. Here, he began to experiment with unusual materials: whale bones, leaves metal and wire. At this time, he also developed a jewelry collection which was featured in several fashion shows in Vancouver.

Continuing to expand his creative repertoire, Dickens headed to the Instituto De Allende in San Miguel, Mexico to study bronze casting for two years. Returning to Vancouver in 1991, Dickens established a new studio in its Gastown district. There 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 break 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, Dickens” studio has grown from a “one man show” to a company which employs 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. He continues to take inspiration from his travels and carries out research around the world.

“People like to feel they are and 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 make people want to reach out. In essence, they want to touch history.”