Wender·Vista
Catanduanes
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tilePhilippines
off the Bicol coast, facing the open Pacific

Catanduanes

— — the green island the typhoons reach first.

— 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

“An island province east of Luzon, the first land the Pacific weather finds before it crosses the Philippines. Surfers come for the right-hand break at Puraran. Most of the interior is rice and coconut and abaca. The capital town, Virac, sits on the southern shore. Locals call it the Land of the Howling Winds.

from the studio
Catanduanes
— bring it home

Catanduanes, 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 Catanduanes

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

Catanduanes is an island province in the Bicol Region of the Philippines, separated from the eastern coast of Luzon by the Maqueda Channel. The island covers about 1,511 square kilometres and held a population near 271,000 at the 2020 census. The provincial capital, Virac, sits on the southern shore. Travellers reach the island by ferry from Tabaco port in Albay province; a small airport at Virac handles flights from Manila. The interior is hilly, planted with rice, coconut, and abaca, the fibre used in Manila hemp.

— the air

Catanduanes faces the open western Pacific with no land east of it before the Philippine Trench, which is why locals call it the Land of the Howling Winds. The province sits squarely in the typhoon corridor and is often the first Philippine landfall of storms tracking west from the open ocean. Super Typhoon Rolly, internationally named Goni, struck the island in November 2020 as one of the strongest landfalling tropical cyclones on record. Builders favour low concrete houses with sloped roofs.

— the water

The east coast holds Puraran Beach in Baras municipality, a small bay sheltered by a reef. The wave there, known as Majestics, is a hollow right-hand barrel that breaks over coral on a south-east swell. The surf season runs from August into November, overlapping with typhoon season; the cleanest swells often arrive a day or two after a distant storm has passed. The Bicolano fishing villages along the same coast use outrigger bancas and bring in tuna, marlin, and mackerel scad.

— where
Philippines · Catanduanes, Bicol Region
— position
13.7089° N · 124.2422° 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.
at the lake
Virac
provincial capital
40 km E
Puraran Beach
surf break
85 km NW
Mayon Volcano
stratovolcano
N
Catanduanes
Virac
Puraran Beach
Mayon Volcano
— common questions

What people ask.

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

Catanduanes is an island province in the Bicol Region of the eastern Philippines, separated from Luzon by the Maqueda Channel. The capital, Virac, lies on the southern coast, about 460 kilometres south-east of Manila.

The island faces the open Pacific with no landmass east of it, so storms tracking west from the ocean often make their first Philippine landfall on its shores. Typhoon season runs roughly July through November.

Puraran Beach in Baras holds the Majestics break, a hollow right-hand reef wave that draws surfers from August to November. The wave fires cleanly on south-east swells and breaks over shallow coral.

Catanduanes is reached by ferry from Tabaco port in Albay province, a crossing of about three hours, or by short flights from Manila to Virac Airport on the southern coast.

Abaca is a fibre harvested from the leaf stalks of a banana relative, used to make Manila hemp rope, marine cordage, and specialty papers including some banknote stock. Catanduanes is a leading Philippine producer.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for customers from the region. Catanduanes is a small province and locals notice when it is recognised. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio carries well.

The blues and storm-greens of the tile suit Coastal-modern, Tropical-modern, and quieter Maximalist rooms. The colour reads strongest against pale plaster, raw teak, or warm white walls.

A single Large carries a sofa wall on its own. For a wider statement, consider a four-tile Mural; over a long console, a nine-tile Mural reads as a single field of weather and sea.

Yes, in Dura Satin or Matte finish. The colour lives in the ceramic surface beneath a thin satin or matte finish and is not affected by steam, splash, or daily wipe-down.

A soft microfibre cloth and water, or a drop of mild dish soap on stubborn spots. No abrasive scrubbers, no bleach. The surface keeps its finish for years with no maintenance beyond that.

Yes. Every WenderVista tile is painted in our own visual language by Reid Wender, the curator of the atlas, and produced in our Knoxville studio. No licensing, no third-party art.

— 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.