An artist based in Vancouver, Sid Dickens is known best for his highly collectible, popular Memory Block tiles. Dickens alternates between his head office and studio in Vancouver and the Queen Charlotte Islands of British Columbia. In his Memory Blocks, common themes include cracked facades, romantic images, historic images and religious iconography.
Career and life
Born in a small north community into a family of fisherfolk located in British Columbia’s Prince Rupert, Dickens graduated high school in nineteen eighty-one and worked on and off as a fisherman until he was 28 years of age. In the off-peak seasons, he dedicated his spare time to painting and drawing and served burgers on ferries. Later he enrolled in Vancouver’s prestigious Emily Carr University of Art and Design. He later took a trip through Europe backpacking which influenced his aesthetics greatly. Later in the nineties, he attended school of art at the international renowned colony of artists in Mexico’s north central mountains San Miguel de Allende.
Unmatched Tile Quality
Each of the blocks is created with unmatched quality. Every one of the tiles expresses the highest workmanship pride. Only the highest material grades are used. These are all subjected to in depth experiments before the optimum finished tiles are selected.
Timeless and Collectible
Handmade in Canada since the nineties, Memory Blocks are original wall plaque collectibles. Timeless and interactive, this collection is able to capture snippets of history as enchanting, tangible collectible modern art for life. As pieces of art, these blocks strike the perfect balancing between artistic appreciation and intrigue. Collectors do recognize all the steps carefully chosen to bring the Sid Dickens vision to life until it finds its place in your wall. From start to finish, these blocks are handcrafted with care at the studio in Vancouver. Each of the blocks undergoes a process that is unique in the hands of many specialized, highly skilled artists. There are a variety of artistic techniques and raw materials utilized in the creation of these beautiful pieces. The company insists on using materials based on organics and it is their mandate to maintain and environment of safety that keeps the studio safe for making and creating works of art.
Hastings Street Studio
It was in his Hastings Street studio that Dickens began creating his renowned Memory Blocks in the early nineties. These blocks are now hand crafted individual plaster tiles that measure six by eight by one and a fourth inches. There is a porcelain-like finished quality and it has been cracked intentionally to create an aged feel and look. Some of the blocks had gold and silver embellishment and hand-made gold leaf. These days, the blocks are distributed internationally and have a strong collectors following that create forums and websites on his behalf. The strategy of marketing is not unlike the porcelain figurines of Royal Doulton and Lladro where collection and styles are produced often in runs that are limited. Retired pieces are highly collectible and highly valued as well.
