‘Hundreds of pieces’ left behind as Chinatown pottery studio closes abruptly after 8 months
Customers of a pottery studio in Chinatown were left disappointed after it abruptly closed, with one claiming there were about 400 unfinished pieces left outside its premises for customers to sift through.
The studio, MIT Artspace, has clarified that it is in the midst of processing refunds for customers.
One of the affected customers, Dylan (not his real name), told Stomp that he had decided to patronise the pottery studio — which was located on the third floor of Pearl’s Hill Terrace, a creative arts enclave — after seeing promotions on TikTok.
The 24-year-old student then booked a three-hour workshop on June 12 with four friends, paying $35.50 per person, which amounted to $177.50 for the group.
However, he said the workshop “wasn’t particularly good”, claiming that the instructor “seemed disengaged” and “not very experienced”. Dylan also said that the instructor appeared to be using her phone rather than guiding participants during the session.
“At the beginning, we actually sat there for around 30 minutes without doing anything because nobody properly told us that we could start,” he recalled. Due to the late start, the group apparently overran the time they were allocated and had to pay for the additional time.
Customers receive text message informing them of closure
After the workshop, Dylan said they left their pottery pieces at the studio, as they were told that the studio would handle the glazing and firing process. They were also informed that the pieces would be ready in seven to eight weeks.
Glazing and firing are traditional ceramic finishing methods that make clay durable, food-safe, and dishwasher-proof, while giving it a permanent, glass-like surface.
In end-July, Dylan recalled asking about the pieces again, but was purportedly told that the process would still take another seven to eight weeks.
On Aug 3, he received a text message informing customers of the studio’s closure. According to a screenshot provided by Dylan, the message said that the studio management was required to “hand over the unit”, and customers could collect their pieces — including those which were glazed and unfired — from the studio.
The message added that the studio’s management team was unable to individually pack all the items, requesting that customers identify and collect their pieces within a week.
“Thankfully, we managed to find all five of our pieces, but none of them had been fired or glazed,” Dylan said. However, he was appalled by the number of pieces left stranded outside the studio:
What shocked me most was the scale of what we saw there. There appeared to be hundreds of pieces (I would estimate around 400) left outside, with customers having to search through them for their own work.
Dylan also said that he was not offered a refund, compensation, or alternative arrangements to have the pottery completed.
Other customers not informed of closure
Another customer, 20-year-old Trish, said she visited the studio for the first time on July 19, after coming across a promotion offering sessions for $35.50 per person.
She said the session was “pretty relaxing” and that one of the instructors was “helpful and knowledgeable”. However, she “felt something was off” when the instructors asked for details of her booking.
“The overall vibes they gave me then were that they didn’t have a clear sheet or tracking system to track customers who had booked an appointment with them,” she explained.
She said she only found out that the business had shuttered from a TikTok post shared on Aug 23 by another customer, Nicole, showing photos of unfinished pottery pieces left behind for collection.
When she attempted to contact the pottery studio on Aug 24, she received a message the following day stating that the number belonged to a traditional Chinese wedding service provider, Eternal Red Bonds.
The message said that they are “no longer associated with the previous company”.
Customer offered 50 per cent refund
However, some customers reported receiving partial refunds, such as one patron who visited the studio on July 18.
Leah (not her real name), a 20-year-old university student, said she and her friends “had a lot of fun during the session”, and were guided by an instructor who “seemed really nice”.
Amid the group’s excitement for the final results, they unexpectedly found out that the studio had closed down abruptly from Nicole’s TikTok post and were unable to retrieve their pieces as the studio had been cleared out.
Leah reached out to the studio and was offered a 50 per cent refund, which she has since received.
I would have pushed for a full refund but I’m afraid they will ghost me again so I’m just taking what I can get.
“It took a lot of convincing for (my friends) to join me as they were not very artsy craftsy people, and all that to turn out a bad experience made me feel bad for wasting their time,” she added.
Ceiling issues restricted access to studio, management processing refunds
In response to Stomp’s queries, a spokesperson from MIT Artspace confirmed that the studio ceased operations on Aug 8, just eight months after commencing business in December 2025.
The spokesperson cited operational and financial challenges, as well as issues with the studio’s premises — such as ceiling damage — which contributed to the closure.
Due to these issues, access to the space was affected, and customers’ pottery pieces were arranged to be placed at a designated area for collection.
“We understand the concerns raised by customers regarding their pieces and regret the inconvenience caused during this process,” the representative said.
The spokesperson added that it is currently reviewing customer cases individually and that the studio is currently processing refunds for affected customers.
“We understand that the closure has caused inconvenience and disappointment to some customers, and our current priority is to review and address the outstanding customer matters as responsibly as possible,” they added.
When asked if MIT Artspace is affiliated to the bridal business, Eternal Red Bonds, which uses the same contact number, the spokesperson said that the two businesses are separate.
Although the spokesperson confirmed that both businesses shared the number prior to MIT’s closure, they stressed that the two companies “provided separate services and handled their respective customer matters separately”.
CASE assisting affected customers
Melvin Yong, president of the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), said the agency has received two complaints against MIT Artspace from Jan 1 to Aug 23.
CASE is assisting customers who reported that they had attended pottery workshops but were unable to collect their pieces or found that their pieces were not glazed or fired, following announcements that the business was closing.
Consumers who require assistance may approach CASE via their hotline at 6277 5100 or through their website.
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