Wender·Vista
Monuriki
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileFiji
in the Mamanuca Islands, west of Viti Levu

Monuriki

— — the small island the film left almost as it found it.

— 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 small uninhabited island west of Nadi, ringed in white sand and shallow reef. Coconut palms run up the spine to a low rocky peak. The Pacific reads green over the lagoon and dark blue past the drop-off. Day boats from the Mamanuca resorts land for snorkelling and a walk through the same stand of palms that played Tom Hanks's island in Cast Away. — from the studio

from the studio
Monuriki
— bring it home

Monuriki, 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 Monuriki

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

Monuriki is a small uninhabited volcanic island in the Mamanuca group, about 30 kilometres west of Nadi on Viti Levu. It covers roughly 40 hectares with a high point near 178 metres. The island is fringed by a coral reef and lies near its larger sisters Monu and Tokoriki. Traditional ownership rests with the village of Yanuya on a neighbouring island, whose people manage visiting and conservation work.

— informed by Wikipedia — Monuriki
— the visit

There is no resort on Monuriki. Visitors arrive on day-trip boats from Mamanuca resorts on Mana, Tokoriki, or Castaway Island, or on charters from Port Denarau near Nadi. Trips typically include reef snorkelling, a beach landing, and a short walk to the headland the 2000 film Cast Away used for its key shots. A small landing fee paid to Yanuya village funds island care.

— the silence

Because no one lives here, the island holds the kind of quiet that only uninhabited Pacific islets keep. Boats leave by mid-afternoon. The Fijian crested iguana, an endangered species once nearly lost from Monuriki, has been restored to the island through a National Trust of Fiji programme that removed introduced goats and rats and reintroduced bred iguanas after 2011.

— where
Fiji · Mamanuca Islands, Western Division
— position
-17.6094° S · 177.0431° E
— 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.
8 km E
Mana Island
resort island
4 km N
Tokoriki Island
resort island
5 km S
Yanuya
Fijian village
N
Monuriki
Mana Island
Tokoriki Island
Yanuya
— common questions

What people ask.

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

In the Mamanuca Islands of western Fiji, about 30 kilometres west of Nadi on the main island of Viti Levu. It sits among the small uninhabited islets of the outer Mamanucas.

Yes. The 2000 Robert Zemeckis film starring Tom Hanks was shot here. The crew left the island substantially as they found it, and the key headland and beach are still recognisable.

No. There is no accommodation on Monuriki. Visitors stay at resorts on Mana, Tokoriki, Castaway Island, or other Mamanuca resorts and visit on day trips and snorkelling tours.

Traditional ownership belongs to the people of Yanuya village on a neighbouring island. A small landing fee paid through tour operators supports conservation work and the village.

The endangered Fijian crested iguana has been restored to the island through a National Trust programme that removed introduced goats and rats. Seabirds and reef fish surround the island year-round.

By boat from Port Denarau near Nadi, or from the nearer Mamanuca resorts. Most visits are guided day trips combining snorkelling, a beach landing, and a short walk to the film location.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. Many couples who stay in the Mamanucas take the Monuriki day trip together. A Small or Medium with a handwritten studio note keeps a quiet anchor for the memory.

The turquoise, sand, and palm-green palette suits Coastal-modern, Tropical-modern, and warm Minimalist interiors. It also holds against whitewashed shiplap and bleached oak.

Yes. Painterly island scenes in cooler ocean palettes are central to current Coastal-modern direction. A Medium piece anchors a hallway or guest room without dominating it.

A single Large above a console reads as one painting. Above a long sofa, a 4-tile Mural carries the island, reef, and open sea better than any single tile.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and handle humidity, so a primary bathroom or beach-house powder room is fine.

A microfibre cloth, dry or barely damp with water. Avoid vinegar, ammonia, and abrasives. The colour lives in the ceramic surface, not on top of it.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is painted in-house in our stained-glass and alcohol-ink language and hand-finished in Knoxville. We do not licence the artwork.

— 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.