Wender·Vista
Aitutaki
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileCook Islands
an atoll in the southern Cook Islands, north of Rarotonga

Aitutaki

— — a triangle of reef the Pacific decided to keep.

— 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
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— 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 volcanic remnant cupped inside a triangular barrier reef, with one of the most-photographed lagoons in the Pacific spread across roughly 50 square kilometres of impossibly pale blue. Fifteen motu freckle the reef line. One Foot Island sits at the eastern edge, with a sand spit that the tide rewrites every afternoon. The main island holds banana groves and Cook Islands Christian churches built of coral lime. The lagoon reads turquoise because the white sand floor scatters the light through shallow water. from the studio

from the studio
Aitutaki
— bring it home

Aitutaki, 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 Aitutaki

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

Aitutaki is an almost-atoll in the southern Cook Islands, about 220 kilometres north of Rarotonga. The main volcanic island covers roughly 18 square kilometres and rises to 124 metres at Maungapu, said to have been carried from Rarotonga by the legendary navigator Ru. The triangular barrier reef encloses a lagoon of about 50 square kilometres, freckled with fifteen named motu. The population sits near 2,000 and the principal village is Arutanga on the western shore, home to the Cook Islands Christian Church built of coral lime in 1828.

— the water

The lagoon's turquoise comes from white coral sand reflecting sunlight up through shallow water, typically two to four metres deep. Photographers favour One Foot Island (Tapuaetai) on the south-eastern reef line, where a long sand spit shifts with the tide. Honeymoon Island, Maina, and the postcard-perfect Akaiami were stopovers for the TEAL flying-boat service from Auckland to Tahiti between 1951 and 1960. The reef also shelters Pacific bluefin trevally, bonefish, and around fifty species of reef fish.

— the visit

The cooler dry season runs from May to October; cyclone season runs November through April. Air Rarotonga operates several daily flights from Rarotonga in about 50 minutes. Most visitors take a full-day lagoon cruise to reach the outer motu; small private operators leave from Arutanga harbour each morning. Cash is preferred outside the main resorts and the New Zealand dollar is legal tender. Sunday is observed; many businesses close and church services are open to visitors.

— informed by Air Rarotonga
— where
Cook Islands · Aitutaki, Cook Islands
— elevation
124 m · 407 ft
— position
-18.8508° S · 159.7872° 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.
12 km SE
One Foot Island
motu
2 km N
Maungapu
summit
at the lake
Arutanga
village and harbour
N
Aitutaki
One Foot Island
Maungapu
Arutanga
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Aitutaki — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

Aitutaki is an almost-atoll in the southern Cook Islands, about 220 kilometres north of Rarotonga in the South Pacific. The main island and 15 outer motu sit inside a triangular barrier reef.

The white coral sand floor reflects sunlight up through shallow water two to four metres deep, scattering the longer wavelengths and leaving the turquoise we read. The same effect colours Bora Bora's lagoon.

Air Rarotonga runs several daily flights from Rarotonga in about 50 minutes. Most international visitors connect through Auckland or Sydney to Rarotonga first.

May to October is the cooler dry season and the calmest for lagoon excursions. November through April is the warm wet season with occasional cyclone risk.

Tapuaetai, a small motu on the south-eastern reef line famous for a shifting sand spit and a tiny passport-stamping post office. Most full-day lagoon cruises stop there.

Roughly 50 square kilometres, enclosed by a triangular barrier reef. The main volcanic island inside covers about 18 square kilometres and rises to 124 metres at Maungapu.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The lagoon is one of the most-remembered Pacific honeymoons. A Medium reads well as an anniversary piece; a Keepsake suits a bedside table or office shelf.

The pale-turquoise palette suits Coastal-modern, Tropical Modern, and bright Scandi-coastal interiors. Reads beautifully against whitewashed wood, rattan, or cool linen.

A single Large reads well above a standard sofa. A 4-tile Mural carries the lagoon's full span; a 9-tile Mural above a console or bed gives the reef line its full triangle.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for any wet-room install. The lagoon colour lives in the ceramic surface and is unaffected by steam or splash.

A soft microfibre cloth and warm water. Skip abrasive sponges and ammonia-based cleaners; the thin glossy finish does not need them.

Yes. Every WenderVista tile is painted in the studio's own stained-glass and alcohol-ink visual language, hand-finished in Knoxville. No licensing, no third-party art.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.