shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileSouth Africa

on the East Rand, east of Johannesburg

Benoni

— — a town built on gold, ringed by lakes.

— 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

— 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 city on the East Rand of Gauteng, about thirty kilometres east of Johannesburg. Benoni was laid out as a gold-mining town in 1881, and the lakes that now ring it — Homestead, Civic, Rynfield — sit in the hollows the old workings left behind. Charlize Theron grew up here. The name comes from the Hebrew Ben-Oni, son of my sorrow.

from the studio

— bring it home

Benoni, 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 Benoni

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

Benoni lies on the East Rand of Gauteng, roughly thirty kilometres east of Johannesburg, within the City of Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality. The town was established in 1881 during the early years of the Witwatersrand gold rush, and its name comes from the Hebrew Ben-Oni, meaning son of my sorrow. The population of the broader city is approximately 600,000. Benoni shares the high inland plateau of the Highveld at about 1,640 metres of elevation, with cool dry winters and warm summer thunderstorms.

— informed by Wikipedia, City of Ekurhuleni

— the water

Benoni holds more inland lakes than any other South African city. Homestead Lake, Civic Lake, Rynfield Pan, Korsman Bird Sanctuary, and several others sit in depressions left by early surface gold workings and natural pans on the Highveld plateau. The lakes draw resident populations of flamingos and Egyptian geese. Korsman Bird Sanctuary is recognised by BirdLife South Africa as an important wetland for waterbird breeding. Bunny Park along Civic Lake has been a free public park since 1973 and remains a fixture of weekend life.

— informed by BirdLife South Africa

— the visit

Benoni is reached by road from Johannesburg in about forty minutes on the N12, and from O.R. Tambo International Airport in roughly twenty. The town centre, Lakefield, and the Northmead suburbs sit around Homestead Lake. Bunny Park is open daily and free of charge. Winter, from May through August, brings cold dry nights and bright sunlit days; the rainy summer between October and March brings dramatic afternoon thunderstorms typical of the Highveld. Bring a layer for the morning, regardless of the season.

— informed by Wikipedia — Benoni

— where

South Africa · City of Ekurhuleni, Gauteng

— elevation

1,640 m

— position

-26.1885° S · 28.3206° 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.

30 km W

Johannesburg

city

8 km W

Boksburg

city

12 km NW

Kempton Park

town

Benoni

Johannesburg

Boksburg

Kempton Park

— common questions

What people ask.

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

— about the place

Benoni is a city on the East Rand of Gauteng province, South Africa, about thirty kilometres east of Johannesburg and twenty minutes from O.R. Tambo International Airport.

The name comes from the Hebrew Ben-Oni, meaning son of my sorrow. It was given to the gold-mining settlement when the town was laid out in 1881 on the East Rand.

Benoni holds more inland lakes than any other South African city. Most sit in depressions left by early surface gold workings or in natural Highveld pans collected over centuries.

The actor Charlize Theron was born and raised in Benoni, leaving in the early 1990s to begin her film career. She often refers to the East Rand town in interviews.

Winter from May through August brings cool dry days well-suited to walking the lake circuits. Summer brings warm afternoons and the dramatic Highveld thunderstorms typical of Gauteng.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for customers connected to Benoni, Boksburg, and the wider Ekurhuleni area. A Small or Medium with a handwritten studio note carries well.

The piece settles into Mountain-modern, African Contemporary, and Jewel-tone Maximalist rooms. The Highveld greens and water blues of the Voynich treatment work against warm wood, leather, and natural fibre.

A Large reads well above most consoles. Above a full sofa, a four-tile Mural carries the wall, and a nine-tile Mural anchors a larger living room with steady presence.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and humidity-tolerant, which makes them suitable for kitchen backsplashes, bathroom walls, and shower surrounds across the home.

A soft microfibre cloth and warm water are all the tile needs. The colour is slowly infused into the ceramic surface, so it will not lift or fade with ordinary cleaning.

— if this one stayed with you

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