Wender·Vista
Mindanao
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tilePhilippines
the southernmost main island of the Philippines

Mindanao

— — a green archipelago inside a single island.

— 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 second-largest island in the Philippines and the southern anchor of the archipelago. Mount Apo rises behind Davao at 2,954 metres; rice and corn run the inland plains; coral reefs hold the long coast. Lumad communities live in the highlands, Moro communities along the south coast, Christian settlers in the north and east. Five distinct cultural geographies inside one outline on the map.

from the studio
Mindanao
— bring it home

Mindanao, 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 Mindanao

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

Mindanao covers about 97,500 square kilometres, second only to Luzon among Philippine islands. The terrain runs from the volcanic spine of Mount Apo at 2,954 metres down to the wide Agusan Marsh in the north-east and the long reef coast facing the Celebes Sea. Six administrative regions divide the island, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao established in 2019. Davao City on the south-east coast is the largest urban centre. The island's population sits around 26 million, drawn from Lumad, Moro, and lowland Visayan and Christian communities.

— the water

Water shapes the island. Lake Lanao, the second-largest lake in the country, sits at 700 metres on a plateau in the west; its outflow drives the Maria Cristina Falls, a 98-metre cascade that supplies hydroelectric power to most of Mindanao. Lake Sebu in South Cotabato holds the floating villages of the T'boli people. Tinago Falls and the Asik-Asik wall pour off forest cliffs in Iligan and Cotabato. Offshore, Siargao Island faces a Pacific reef break that draws surfers from September through November. The Davao Gulf holds warm water and small clear bays along its full length.

— informed by Wikipedia — Lake Lanao
— the visit

Davao City is the practical entry. Francisco Bangoy International Airport handles direct flights from Manila, Cebu, Singapore, and a handful of regional cities. Mount Apo permits are issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the two main routes from Kidapawan and Santa Cruz. Siargao is reached by short flight to Sayak Airport from Cebu or Manila. Travel inside the Bangsamoro region rewards careful planning and current local guidance. Wet season runs roughly June through October; dry months from December through May are clearest for highland walks and reef days.

— informed by Philippine DOT
— where
Philippines · Mindanao island group
— position
7.5000° N · 125.0000° 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
Mount Apo
stratovolcano
at the lake
Davao City
city
at the lake
Siargao Island
island
at the lake
Camiguin
island
at the lake
Lake Sebu
lake
at the lake
Cagayan de Oro
city
N
Mindanao
Mount Apo
Davao City
Siargao Island
Camiguin
Lake Sebu
Cagayan de Oro
— common questions

What people ask.

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

Mindanao is the second-largest island of the Philippines and the southernmost of the country's three main island groups, lying between the Sulu and Celebes Seas. The Bohol Sea separates it from the Visayas to the north.

Mount Apo, a stratovolcano in Davao region, rises to 2,954 metres above sea level, the highest peak in the Philippines. Two permitted routes, from Kidapawan and Santa Cruz, reach the summit.

Cebuano is the most widely used language across northern and eastern Mindanao. Maguindanaon and Maranao dominate the central south. Tagalog and English serve as the national and administrative languages island-wide.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, established by national plebiscite in 2019, governs a cluster of provinces in the south-west under a parliamentary system with delegated authority over local affairs and culture.

The group includes the main island plus the Sulu Archipelago, Camiguin off the north coast, the Dinagat Islands, Siargao, Samal, and Basilan. Together they cover the southernmost reach of the country.

The dry season from December through May offers the clearest weather for highland walks and reef days. June through October brings heavier rain and occasional typhoons on the Pacific side.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for customers from Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, and the wider diaspora. The piece reads as the island, not as a single landmark. A Medium with a note travels well.

The deep green, ocean teal, and ember red of the artwork carry warm Tropical-modern, Jewel-tone Maximalist, and Coastal-modern rooms. The piece reads well against teak, rattan, or limewashed walls.

Yes. The dense green and reef-blue palette sit with the biophilic and warm-tropical direction designers are working in now. The Mindanao subject adds a sense of place a generic palm print cannot carry.

A single Large reads from across the room above a standard sofa. A four-tile Mural carries the island's coast across a wider wall; a nine-tile Mural anchors a long living wall.

Yes. Choose Dura Satin or Matte for any installation that will see steam or splash. The colour lives in the ceramic surface and does not lift with cleaning.

A dry or slightly damp microfibre cloth handles everyday dust. For kitchen use, plain water on a soft cloth is enough. Avoid abrasive pads and citrus cleaners.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is painted in our own visual language by the studio, with no licensed imagery. Reid Wender curates each place that enters the atlas.

— 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.