Wender·Vista
Ormoc
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tilePhilippines
on the west coast of Leyte, across the bay from Cebu

Ormoc

— — a port city the typhoon road runs through.

— 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 working port on Ormoc Bay, on the west side of Leyte. Fast ferries cross to Cebu in a little over two hours. Pineapple and sugarcane come down from the inland hills. Lake Danao sits up in the cordillera behind the city, long and deep, shaped like a violin. From the studio.

from the studio
Ormoc
— bring it home

Ormoc, 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 Ormoc

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

Ormoc is an independent component city on the west coast of Leyte island, in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. The 2020 census recorded a population of 230,998, making it the second-largest city on Leyte after Tacloban. The city fronts Ormoc Bay and is the main west-coast port for Leyte, with fast ferries crossing to Cebu City in about two and a half hours. The local economy runs on agriculture, port logistics, and geothermal energy from the Leyte Geothermal Production Field inland.

— the water

Lake Danao, in the mountains about eighteen kilometres northeast of the city, is a long freshwater lake shaped like a violin, sitting at roughly 700 metres elevation inside Lake Danao Natural Park. The surrounding ridge is part of the Leyte central cordillera. Closer to the city, the Anilao and Bao rivers drain the hills into Ormoc Bay; the 1991 flash flood that followed Tropical Storm Thelma carved much of their current channels and remains the city's defining recent disaster.

— the visit

Ormoc is reached most easily by fast ferry from Cebu City (two and a half hours), or by road from Tacloban across Leyte (about three hours). The city has a small airport with limited domestic service. The bayfront promenade is the standard evening walk; Lake Danao Natural Park, the geothermal fields, and the Alto Peak trail draw day visits inland. The dry season runs roughly from December through May; typhoon risk is highest from August through November.

— informed by Wikipedia — Ormoc
— where
Philippines · Ormoc City, Leyte
— position
11.0064° N · 124.6075° 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.
18 km NE
Lake Danao
lake
110 km E
Tacloban
city
90 km W
Cebu City
city
22 km NE
Alto Peak
mountain
N
Ormoc
Lake Danao
Tacloban
Cebu City
Alto Peak
— common questions

What people ask.

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

Ormoc is an independent component city on the west coast of Leyte island, in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. It sits on Ormoc Bay, directly across the water from Cebu.

The 2020 census recorded a population of 230,998. That makes Ormoc the second-largest city on Leyte after the provincial capital, Tacloban, and the main port on the island's west coast.

The most common route is the fast ferry from Cebu City, which takes about two and a half hours across the Camotes Sea. Ormoc is also reached by road from Tacloban in roughly three hours.

Lake Danao is a freshwater lake about eighteen kilometres northeast of Ormoc, inside Lake Danao Natural Park. It sits at around 700 metres elevation and is shaped like a violin, set into the Leyte central cordillera.

Tropical Storm Thelma struck Leyte on 5 November 1991 and produced a catastrophic flash flood that overwhelmed the Anilao and Bao rivers. It remains the deadliest weather event in the city's modern history and shaped much of the current river channels.

— about the piece in your home

It carries well to anyone with family in Ormoc or Tacloban, to Visayans abroad, and to travelers who crossed to Leyte by ferry. The Small with a studio note suits a desk or a shelf.

The piece sits well in Coastal-modern, Tropical Modern, and Warm Minimalist rooms. The bay-and-cordillera palette pairs with rattan, teak, and natural linen, and reads well against soft white walls.

Tropical Modern interiors have been steady through recent seasons, and Southeast Asian coastal subjects have been moving into the main room rather than staying confined to vacation-home decor.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large or a 4-tile Mural fits well. Above a console or a sideboard, the 9-tile Mural anchors the wall; a Medium suits a narrower entry or hallway.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for any wet or steamy room. Both are scratch-resistant and built for vertical installation in showers, backsplashes, and powder rooms.

A soft microfibre cloth and clean water are enough. The colour is infused into the ceramic surface, so normal cleaning will not lift it. Skip abrasive pads and harsh solvents.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to our studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Reid curates the atlas and chooses each place. We do not license outside artwork.

— if this one stayed with you

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