Wender·Vista
Miri
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileMalaysia
on the Sarawak coast in northern Borneo

Miri

— — the city the first oil well in Malaya built.

— 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 coastal city of around 360,000 on the northern Sarawak coast of Borneo, near the Brunei border. Miri was a quiet fishing village until 1910, when Shell drilled Malaya's first producing oil well on Canada Hill above the town. The derrick, locally called the Grand Old Lady, still stands. The city is the road and air gateway to the limestone caves of Niah and to the great karst pinnacles of Gunung Mulu National Park.

from the studio
Miri
— bring it home

Miri, 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 Miri

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

Miri lies on the South China Sea coast of Sarawak, in northern Malaysian Borneo, about 30 kilometres south of the Brunei border. The city anchors a metropolitan area of roughly 360,000 people, making it the second-largest in Sarawak after the state capital Kuching. Miri grew out of a fishing settlement after the discovery of oil at Canada Hill in 1910, when Shell drilled what became known locally as the Grand Old Lady — Malaya's first commercially producing oil well. The settlement was granted formal city status in 2005.

— the stone

Inland from Miri, the limestone karst of the Mulu massif rises in the spectacular pinnacles of Gunung Api, in Gunung Mulu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2000. Closer to the coast, the Niah Caves in Niah National Park have produced one of Southeast Asia's most important archaeological records, including a human skull dated to roughly 40,000 years ago. Both parks are reached by road and short flight from Miri, the regional aviation hub for inland Sarawak.

— the visit

Miri Airport runs daily flights to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Kuching, and the small inland strips serving Mulu and the Kelabit Highlands at Bario. The Pan Borneo Highway connects the city north into Brunei and south along the Sarawak coast. The Grand Old Lady on Canada Hill is now part of the Petroleum Museum, with a viewing platform over the city. The waterfront night market opens by the river most evenings, and the Saberkas and Bintang districts hold most of the modern shopping.

— informed by Wikipedia: Sarawak
— where
Malaysia · Miri, Sarawak
— position
4.3995° N · 113.9914° 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.
30 km N
Brunei border
international border
110 km SW
Niah National Park
limestone cave park
100 km SE
Gunung Mulu National Park
UNESCO karst park
5 km E
Canada Hill
ridge above the city
N
Miri
Brunei border
Niah National Park
Gunung Mulu National Park
Canada Hill
— common questions

What people ask.

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

Miri sits on the South China Sea coast of Sarawak in northern Malaysian Borneo, about 30 kilometres south of the Brunei border. It is the second-largest city in Sarawak after Kuching.

In 1910, Shell drilled Malaya's first commercially producing oil well on Canada Hill above the town. The derrick, locally called the Grand Old Lady, still stands and anchors the Petroleum Museum on the same hill.

Gunung Mulu National Park, inscribed by UNESCO in 2000 for its limestone karst and pinnacles, and Niah National Park, known for caves that have yielded a roughly 40,000-year-old human skull, are both reached from Miri.

About 360,000 people across the wider metropolitan area, making Miri the second-largest city in the state of Sarawak. It was granted formal city status in 2005.

Equatorial. Temperatures stay between roughly 24 and 32 Celsius across the year, with wetter monsoon-influenced peaks around November to January and again around May to June. Humidity is high throughout.

— about the piece in your home

For someone who grew up in Miri, worked the Sarawak oil fields, or has Iban or Kelabit family inland, a Small or Medium often lands well. The Glossy carries the coastal palette cleanly.

The tropical greens and South China Sea blues read well in biophilic interiors, in jewel-tone maximalist rooms, and in coastal-modern palettes that lean toward equatorial rather than Atlantic colour.

Both styles continue to favour pieces grounded in a specific tropical place rather than generic palm motifs. The Miri tile reads as Sarawak coast and inland karst, which is the current direction.

A single Large reads as a focal piece above a console. Above a sofa, a 4-tile or 9-tile Mural carries the horizontal coastal sweep without crowding the seating below.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and handle humidity, splashback, and regular cleaning. The Glossy is meant for dry wall display only.

A microfibre cloth with water handles everyday dust and fingerprints. For kitchen or bath installations, a mild non-abrasive household cleaner is fine. Avoid scouring pads and harsh solvents.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original work by Reid Wender, hand-finished in the Knoxville studio. No licensing, no third-party imagery. Each tile is finished to order.

— 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.