A Purveyor Of Tableware That Elevates The Simple Act Of Dining

This couple’s love of entertaining inspired the founding of Artifactt, a purveyor of tableware that elevates the simple act of dining

- Luo Jingmei

An artifact is, typically, an object of cultural or historical value. Likewise, the products curated by Singapore-based tableware retailer Artifactt are treated as such—and considered as art pieces, where imperfections that come with handmade goods are celebrated. Chris Lee and his wife Annie Li launched the business in October last year after they noticed a gap in the local market for affordable artisanal tableware.

Lee is the founder of multidisciplinary design studio Asylum, known for its work such as The Warehouse Hotel’s interior design and the National Gallery Singapore’s minimalist logo, while his wife’s day job is in sales and marketing. The idea of setting up shop was sparked when Li, who had then recently concluded an MBA, was brainstorming for a side project. “I always knew that I wanted to start something for myself,” she says, commenting on her entrepreneurial itch. The timing was perfect, as people, stuck at home during the pandemic, were cooking more often and paid greater attention to food presentation.

Apart from products by designers such as Sergio Herman, Ann Demeulemeester and Roos Van de Velde under Belgium homeware brand Serax, Artifactt stocks tableware and drinkware from Japan. This is unsurprising, as the idea was seeded there in 2018 when Lee participated in the KYO project, which partnered Singaporean designers with Japanese artisans to create relevant modern-day products.