shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileCanada

in the central Canadian Arctic, west of the Boothia Peninsula

King William Island

Name: King William Island — on ceramic tile, by WenderVista
Brand: WenderVista

— — the island the Franklin expedition did not leave.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand

— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines

— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall

— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround

— a note from the studio

“A low, treeless island in the Kitikmeot region of Nunavut, surrounded for most of the year by sea ice. The Inuit name is Qikiqtaq. The single settlement, Gjoa Haven, sits on the south coast and is named for Amundsen's ship, which wintered here in 1903. Somewhere in the interior the bones of the Franklin crews are still being found. from the studio

from the studio

— bring it home

King William Island, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about King William Island

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

King William Island, Qikiqtaq in Inuktitut, lies in the central Canadian Arctic between the Boothia Peninsula and Victoria Island, with an area of roughly 13,100 square kilometres. It is flat, treeless tundra, ringed by gravel beaches and shallow bays. The sole settlement is Gjoa Haven on the south coast, a hamlet of around 1,300 mostly Netsilik Inuit residents. The island sits inside the Kitikmeot region of Nunavut and is reached only by air or, briefly, by ship in late summer.

— informed by Wikipedia — King William Island, Wikipedia — Gjoa Haven

— the silence

The Franklin expedition's two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, became trapped in the ice off the northwest coast of the island in September 1846. All 129 men eventually died. Inuit oral history carried the story for more than 160 years before Parks Canada located the wrecks in 2014 and 2016 with the help of Inuit testimony. The island has held the silence around what happened ever since. Bones and artefacts are still found on the interior tundra.

— informed by Parks Canada — Wrecks of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror

— the season

The Arctic year here divides sharply. Sea ice locks the surrounding straits from October to July. The sun does not rise for roughly six weeks around the winter solstice and does not set for a similar stretch around the summer solstice. The brief late-summer window, mid-July to early September, opens the bays for fishing, char runs, and the occasional cruise ship. The Northwest Passage threads the south coast, ice-permitting.

— informed by Wikipedia — Gjoa Haven

— where

Canada · Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut

— position

69.0000° N · 97.5000° W

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

at the lake

Gjoa Haven

Inuit hamlet

80 km E

Boothia Peninsula

mainland peninsula

200 km W

Victoria Island

Arctic island

King William Island

Gjoa Haven

Boothia Peninsula

Victoria Island

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about King William Island — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

It lies in the central Canadian Arctic in Nunavut's Kitikmeot region, between the Boothia Peninsula to the east and Victoria Island to the west. The Inuit name for the island is Qikiqtaq.

The Franklin expedition of 1845 ended here. Both ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, became trapped in the surrounding ice and all 129 men died. The wrecks were located in 2014 and 2016 with Inuit testimony.

About 1,300 mostly Netsilik Inuit residents live in Gjoa Haven on the south coast. It is the only settlement on the island and the regional supply hub for surrounding hamlets.

Roald Amundsen wintered his ship Gjøa in the natural harbour from 1903 to 1905 during the first successful navigation of the Northwest Passage. He named the haven for the ship.

By air. Canadian North flies scheduled service to Gjoa Haven from Yellowknife and Cambridge Bay. A short late-summer window also allows occasional small-ship cruise traffic through the Northwest Passage.

Polar tundra. Sea ice surrounds the island from October to July. The winter solstice brings roughly six weeks without sunrise; the summer solstice brings a comparable stretch of midnight sun.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. King William Island is the central site of the Franklin story and Amundsen's Northwest Passage wintering. A Medium or Large with a handwritten note from the studio carries the history well.

The cold blues, bone whites, and slate greys suit Scandinavian and Nordic-modern rooms, expedition-themed studies with maps and brass, and minimalist interiors with pale wood and wool.

Yes. The palette runs glacial blue, snow, and graphite, which fits the continuing move toward muted, cold-northern colour in living rooms and home offices.

A single Large reads well above a console or a reading chair. Above a full sofa, a 4-tile Mural holds the wall; a 9-tile Mural suits a long entryway or a stair landing.

Yes, with the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and tolerate steam and direct splash, suiting backsplashes, showers, and vanity walls.

A soft microfibre cloth and water is enough. The colour lives in the ceramic surface beneath a thin protective layer, so household cleaners are not needed and not recommended.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original work from our single studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. We do not license images in or out.

— if this one stayed with you