Wender·Vista
Kaduna
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileNigeria
in northern Nigeria, on the Kaduna River

Kaduna

— — a planned city the river kept its name in.

— 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 river city on the southern edge of the Nigerian savanna, laid out by Lord Lugard in 1913 as the capital of the old Northern Region. The Kaduna River cuts through the centre on its way to the Niger, and the name itself comes from the Hausa word for crocodile. Long boulevards, colonial-era barracks, and the Nigerian Defence Academy still set the city's shape. Markets like Kasuwan Barci hold the everyday rhythm. The light goes amber through Harmattan dust between December and February, when the dry wind off the Sahara reaches this far south.

from the studio
Kaduna
— bring it home

Kaduna, 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 Kaduna

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

Kaduna is the capital of Kaduna State in northwestern Nigeria, sitting on the Kaduna River about 160 kilometres southwest of Kano and roughly 200 kilometres north of the federal capital Abuja. The metropolitan area holds an estimated population of well over a million, making it one of the larger cities of the Nigerian north. The name derives from kada, the Hausa word for crocodile, after the animals once common in the river. The city stands on the Guinea savanna plateau at roughly 600 metres elevation and serves as a major road, rail, and air hub for the region.

— informed by Wikipedia — Kaduna
— the year

The year in Kaduna turns on two seasons. The dry season runs roughly November through April, with the Harmattan wind carrying Saharan dust south between December and February and dropping daytime visibility to a soft amber haze. The wet season runs May through October, with the heaviest rains in August. Average annual rainfall sits near 1,300 millimetres. The Nigerian Defence Academy, founded in 1964, draws cadets from across the country and gives the city's calendar a distinct military and academic rhythm of parades and graduations.

— the visit

Kaduna was laid out in 1913 by Frederick Lugard as the administrative capital of the Protectorate of Northern Nigeria, and the long ceremonial avenues and government quarters of that plan still organise the centre. Markets like Kasuwan Barci and Kakuri carry the everyday commerce of textiles, leather, and produce. The Lugard Hall, the Murtala Square, and the Kaduna National Museum sit within a short drive of the central business district. Travellers arrive most often by road from Abuja, by the Abuja to Kaduna passenger railway, or through Kaduna International Airport on the city's southern edge.

— where
Nigeria · Kaduna, Kaduna State
— position
10.5167° N · 7.4333° 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.
1 km S
Kaduna River
river
8 km S
Nigerian Defence Academy
military academy
2 km C
Kaduna National Museum
museum
N
Kaduna
Kaduna River
Nigerian Defence Academy
Kaduna National Museum
— common questions

What people ask.

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

Kaduna is a city in northwestern Nigeria, capital of Kaduna State, sitting on the Kaduna River about 200 kilometres north of Abuja and 160 kilometres southwest of Kano.

Kaduna comes from kada, the Hausa word for crocodile. The river that gives the city its name once held a population of crocodiles, and the plural form became the city's name.

Kaduna was laid out in 1913 by Lord Frederick Lugard as the administrative capital of the British Protectorate of Northern Nigeria. The long avenues and government quarters still follow that colonial plan.

The Harmattan is the dry, dusty wind that blows south from the Sahara between December and February. In Kaduna it turns the sky a soft amber haze and drops humidity sharply for several weeks.

The cooler months from late November through February are most comfortable, after the rains end and before the hot months of March and April. Travellers should expect dust during the Harmattan.

Kaduna is reached by road from Abuja in roughly two and a half hours, by the Abuja to Kaduna passenger railway, or through Kaduna International Airport on the southern edge of the city.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for customers with roots in northern Nigeria. The piece honours the river, the avenues, and the Harmattan light without travel-poster cliche. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio carries well.

The warm amber palette suits Earth-tone Modern, Jewel-tone Maximalist, and West African contemporary interiors. It reads well against terracotta, raw linen, and dark hardwood shelving.

Yes. Diaspora households increasingly favour place-rooted art that names a specific home city rather than a generic continent. The Kaduna tile gives a household an exact anchor on the wall.

A single Large reads cleanly above a console table. Above a standard sofa, a 4-tile Mural carries the wall, and a 9-tile Mural suits longer sectionals or wide entry walls.

Yes. For damp rooms and backsplashes, order the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and made for vertical installations near water and heat.

A soft microfibre cloth with plain water is enough. The colour lives in the ceramic surface itself, so there is no painted layer to wear through over years of wiping.

Yes. Every WenderVista tile is drawn from a single studio in Knoxville, Tennessee under Reid Wender's eye. The work is not licensed from any other artist or catalogue.

— if this one stayed with you

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