Wender·Vista
Lampedusa
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileItaly
in the Strait of Sicily, closer to Tunisia than to the Italian mainland

Lampedusa

— — the southernmost island that still flies the Italian flag.

— 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

“Lampedusa is the southernmost of Italy, an arid limestone island in the Strait of Sicily that lies closer to the coast of Tunisia than to Sicily itself. The Spiaggia dei Conigli is the famous beach, with its pale crescent of sand and the islet just offshore where loggerhead turtles nest each summer. The town and the small port hold most of the six thousand people who live here year-round.

from the studio
Lampedusa
— bring it home

Lampedusa, 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 Lampedusa

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

Lampedusa is the largest of the three Pelagie Islands, twenty square kilometres of arid limestone in the Strait of Sicily, administered as part of the Province of Agrigento in Sicily. The island lies about 167 kilometres from the Tunisian coast and roughly 205 kilometres from Sicily, geologically on the African continental shelf rather than the European. Around six thousand people live on the island year-round, most of them in the town of Lampedusa around the deep natural harbour on the south coast.

— informed by Wikipedia — Lampedusa
— the visit

Rabbit Beach (Spiaggia dei Conigli) on the southwest coast is the island's most-visited cove, a shallow crescent of pale sand sheltered by a small offshore islet. It has been repeatedly named among the best beaches in the world by TripAdvisor's traveller awards and is protected as part of a regional marine reserve. Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) nest on the beach each summer, and access is regulated during the laying and hatching season from May through September.

— the year

Since the early 2000s Lampedusa has been one of the main maritime arrival points in Europe for migrants crossing from North Africa, and the island holds a reception centre that has at times sheltered more people than the local population. In October 2013 a vessel sank within sight of the harbour with the loss of 368 lives, an event that reshaped European migration policy. The island also holds a small museum to the disaster, the Porto M museum, on the main harbour.

— where
Italy · Province of Agrigento, Sicily
— position
35.5083° N · 12.5878° 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.
50 km NE
Linosa
neighbouring Pelagie island
4 km SW
Spiaggia dei Conigli
marine reserve beach
205 km N
Porto Empedocle
Sicilian ferry port
N
Lampedusa
Linosa
Spiaggia dei Conigli
Porto Empedocle
— common questions

What people ask.

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

Lampedusa is the southernmost island of Italy, in the Strait of Sicily about 167 kilometres from the coast of Tunisia and 205 kilometres from Sicily. It is the largest of the Pelagie Islands.

Spiaggia dei Conigli, on the southwest coast, is a shallow crescent of pale sand sheltered by a small offshore islet. It is part of a regional marine reserve and a loggerhead turtle nesting site.

Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) lay their eggs on Spiaggia dei Conigli between late May and August, with hatching through September. Access to the beach is regulated during the season.

By daily flight from Palermo or Catania in Sicily, taking about an hour. A long-haul ferry from Porto Empedocle on the Sicilian south coast also runs, taking around nine hours overnight.

Since the early 2000s it has been one of Europe's main maritime arrival points for migrants crossing from North Africa. A 2013 shipwreck off the harbour killed 368 people and reshaped European migration policy.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for customers from the Sicilian diaspora and for those who have summered on the island. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio carries well.

The pale sand and Mediterranean blue palette sits naturally in Coastal Modern, Mediterranean Revival, and Minimalist rooms. It reads well against linen, natural plaster, and weathered wood.

For a standard three-seat sofa, a single Large is the right scale. Above a long console, a four-tile Mural carries the wall. For a feature room, a nine-tile Mural.

Yes, with the Dura Satin or Matte finish. The colour is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and the surface is scratch-resistant and steam-tolerant.

A microfibre cloth and a little water is enough. No solvents or abrasive cleaners. The colour lives in the surface and does not lift or fade with regular wiping.

Yes. Every piece is made in our Knoxville studio. Reid Wender is the curator. We do not license the work and do not reprint other artists.

— 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.
— a collection

The Italian Dolomites,
painted slow.

The valleys between Cortina and Val Gardena, the tarns you walk an hour to see, the towers that turn the colour of a banked fire just before dark. Wander the collection by valley, by season, or follow the path Reid walked.

Tre Cime
Braies
Misurina
Sorapis
Cinque Torri
Sassolungo
Marmolada