Wender·Vista
Auckland
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileNew Zealand
on the isthmus between two harbours

Auckland

— — a city counting its volcanoes.

— 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 city the Pacific built on an isthmus, with the Waitematā on one shore and the Manukau on the other. Fifty-three volcanic cones rise through the suburbs, most of them quiet for centuries. Rangitoto sits out in the harbour like a low, even hat. The yachts go out on Friday afternoons. The light comes off the water twice.

from the studio
Auckland
— bring it home

Auckland, 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 Auckland

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

Auckland sits on a narrow isthmus on the North Island of New Zealand, between the Waitematā Harbour to the east and the Manukau Harbour to the west. The metropolitan area holds about 1.7 million people, roughly a third of the country. The Auckland Volcanic Field has produced around 53 cones over the past 200,000 years, including Maungawhau / Mount Eden and Rangitoto, which last erupted around 600 years ago. The Sky Tower, finished in 1997, rises 328 metres above the central business district.

— informed by Wikipedia, Auckland Council
— the water

Auckland holds two harbours and the Hauraki Gulf, which stretches east toward Great Barrier Island. The Waitematā opens to deep blue water and is the working harbour, crossed by the Auckland Harbour Bridge since 1959. The Manukau is shallower, tidal, edged by mangrove. Ferries run from the downtown terminal to Devonport, Waiheke, and Rangitoto. There are more boats per capita registered here than in any other city, which is why the place is called the City of Sails.

— the visit

The city is reachable by Auckland Airport, the country's busiest, twenty kilometres south of the centre. Summer runs December through February with mild temperatures around 23°C. Rangitoto is reached by a forty-minute ferry from the downtown wharf, then a steep walk to the summit cone. The Auckland Domain holds the Auckland War Memorial Museum, opened in 1929, with one of the largest Māori taonga collections in the world. Waiheke Island, a vineyard and beach day-trip, sits forty minutes east by ferry.

— where
New Zealand · Auckland, North Island
— position
-36.8485° S · 174.7633° 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 NE
Rangitoto Island
volcanic island
4 km N
Devonport
harbour village
3 km S
Mount Eden
volcanic cone
17 km E
Waiheke Island
vineyard island
N
Auckland
Rangitoto Island
Devonport
Mount Eden
Waiheke Island
— common questions

What people ask.

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

Auckland has more registered boats per capita than any other city in the world, around one for every three households. The Waitematā Harbour and Hauraki Gulf give the city sheltered open water within minutes of downtown.

The Auckland Volcanic Field contains about 53 cones built up over the past 200,000 years. The youngest is Rangitoto, which last erupted roughly 600 years ago. Most are dormant scoria cones now folded into the suburbs.

The Sky Tower in the central business district, completed in 1997, stands 328 metres tall. It is the tallest freestanding structure in the Southern Hemisphere and holds a revolving restaurant and observation decks.

December through February is high summer, with daytime temperatures around 23°C and long evenings. February and March are the driest months. Winter is mild but wet, with frequent rain off the Tasman Sea.

Rangitoto is the youngest volcano in the Auckland field, a near-symmetrical cone that rose from the harbour about 600 years ago. A 40-minute ferry from downtown reaches it, with a marked walk to the summit.

— about the piece in your home

It carries well for anyone who grew up around the Waitematā or sailed out of the gulf. The volcanic shapes and harbour light are particular to the city. A Small or Medium with a studio note travels well overseas.

The blues and greens sit comfortably in Coastal-modern, Pacific-contemporary, and Mountain-modern rooms. Pale oak, linen, and white walls let the harbour colour carry the eye. The piece does not need a busy neighbour.

Above a standard sofa, the Large reads as a single window onto the harbour. Above a longer console or a king bed, the 4-tile Mural opens the wall. The 9-tile Mural is for a feature wall.

Yes. Order the tile in Dura Satin for showers, splashbacks, or anywhere it meets steam and water. Matte works the same way with no sheen. The colour lives in the surface and does not fade.

A soft microfibre cloth and warm water. Avoid abrasive scrubbers and bleach-based cleaners, which can dull the thin glossy finish. The colour is infused into the ceramic surface and will not lift with normal cleaning.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to the studio, curated by Reid Wender, and produced in-house in Knoxville, Tennessee. There is no licensing or third-party reproduction. The atlas is a single eye.

— 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.