Wender·Vista
Conakry
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileGuinea
on the Kaloum peninsula, where Guinea meets the Atlantic

Conakry

— the harbour light coming in on the trade wind.

— 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

“The capital of Guinea sits at the tip of a long narrow peninsula reaching west into the Atlantic. The Grand Mosque holds the skyline above the Madina market; the Îles de Los rise a few miles offshore. Most afternoons a slow ocean wind moves through the city. A working harbour, observed from the studio, and held in colour on the tile.

from the studio
Conakry
— bring it home

Conakry, 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 Conakry

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

Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea, set on the Kaloum peninsula that reaches out into the Atlantic Ocean. Roughly 1.7 million people live in the metropolitan area, which spreads east from the old colonial quarter on Tombo Island toward the suburb of Ratoma. The French established the port in 1887. The Grand Mosque, finished in 1982 with help from Saudi Arabia, is one of the largest in sub-Saharan Africa and seats around 12,000. Six kilometres offshore, the Îles de Los archipelago closes the bay.

— informed by Wikipedia — Conakry
— the air

The peninsula has two seasons. From December to February the harmattan blows south off the Sahara, dropping a fine red dust over the city and softening the light. From May to November the southwest monsoon turns the air green and heavy; Conakry averages more than 3,700 millimetres of rain a year, among the wettest capital cities in Africa. The cooler season runs January through March, when the sea breeze pulls a clean Atlantic air across the rooftops of Kaloum each afternoon.

— the water

Conakry's geography is the Atlantic. The Kaloum peninsula thrusts west into Sangaréah Bay, with the deepwater Port Autonome on its northern shore handling most of Guinea's bauxite exports. To the southwest, the Îles de Los rise out of the water in a small arc: Kassa, Roume and Tamara, once a holding ground for the slave trade, now reached by pirogue in about forty minutes from the Boulbinet quay. The fishing fleet works the inshore banks at first light.

— where
Guinea · Conakry, Guinea
— position
9.6412° N · 13.5784° 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.
10 km SW
Îles de Los
Atlantic archipelago
2 km E
Grand Mosque of Conakry
mosque
N
Conakry
Îles de Los
Grand Mosque of Conakry
— common questions

What people ask.

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

Conakry is the capital of Guinea, on the Kaloum peninsula on the West African Atlantic coast. The old city sits on Tombo Island; newer districts stretch east along the mainland toward Ratoma and the airport.

Completed in 1982 with Saudi funding, the Grand Mosque seats about 12,000 worshippers and is one of the largest in sub-Saharan Africa. It anchors the eastern end of the old colonial quarter near the Presidential Palace.

A small Atlantic archipelago about six kilometres southwest of the city. Kassa, Roume and Tamara are the main islands; Robert Louis Stevenson is said to have drawn on them for Treasure Island.

From December to April. The harmattan wind off the Sahara softens the light through January and February. The rains return in May and run heavy through October, averaging over 3,700 millimetres a year.

French is the official language. Susu is the lingua franca of the coast; Pular and Maninka are widely spoken inland. Most market business in Conakry is conducted in Susu and French.

Bauxite. Guinea holds roughly a quarter of the world's known bauxite reserves, and the Port Autonome de Conakry handles most of the country's shipments out to refineries abroad.

— about the piece in your home

Customers with West African roots have chosen these tiles for parents and grandparents. Conakry is a working capital with a real harbour and a strong civic memory. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio carries well.

The Atlantic blues and warm earth tones in the artwork suit Coastal-modern rooms, jewel-tone Maximalist interiors, and warm Minimalist palettes built around terracotta and brass.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large reads from across the room. For a wider wall, a four-tile Mural opens the field; a nine-tile Mural becomes the room's centrepiece.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for any space with steam or splashes; both are scratch-resistant. The Glossy finish belongs in framed wall pieces, away from direct water.

A soft microfibre cloth and warm water. No abrasive pads, no harsh cleaners. The colour is held inside the ceramic surface, beneath a thin protective layer, so the image will not wear off.

Yes. Every WenderVista tile is an original piece curated by Reid Wender and produced in our Knoxville studio. We do not license the work to other makers.

— if this one stayed with you

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