The Human Touch
As we witness the development of artificial intelligence, robotics and machine learning, things made by human hands are likely to become more surprising.
Byron Raleigh, 43 trades under the name Artefact Furniture, a name that draws attention to its essence and is spelt out on his website: ‘Ar-te-fact: An object made by a human being, typically an item of cultural or historical interest.’
It’s a positioning statement for a business that espouses traditional values: solid timber furniture, traditional joinery, high quality, made to last.
And yet, while Byron sees that touch of humanity as the defining element for what he makes, he loves machines and is inspired by what they offer. He speaks quietly but has strong views, many of which at first seem opposing.
He owns older but top of
