About The Artist Nest | Designed by Mon Manabu
WHO
The Artist Nest creates premium pottery tool bags and creative organisation
products for Australian artists and makers. Founded by Mon Manabu,
a visual artist and ceramicist based in Byron Bay, Northern Rivers, The Artist
Nest designs functional tools that solve real problems for potters, painters,
crochet artists, and creative makers.
What started as a personal became The Artist Bag: a 27-pocket canvas bag with unique internal compartments.
Today, The Artist Nest serves hundreds of Australian creatives with pottery tool bags, wooden tool racks, and educational resources.
WHY
The Artist Nest was born between classes at TAFE in Lismore, while I was studying the Diploma of Ceramics. I needed a better way to carry my tools, something flexible, durable, and beautiful.
I wanted objects that could support not just the work, but the whole creative rhythm: setting up, packing down, heading out, or staying in flow. That’s how the first idea came to life.
WHAT
The Artist Nest started with a bag. I designed The Artist Bag with a wide-open centre, multiple pockets, and soft yet structured canvas. Alongside it, I created a custom tool rack that keeps your essentials, carving tools, brushes, pens, tidy and ready.
From here, the idea expanded to digital downloads designed to support makers’ creative rhythm, like glaze logs and firing cards. In the future, I plan to offer a range of special tools for potters, aprons, and more, creating a collection that continues to serve and inspire your studio practice.
HOW
This project grows through observation, studio testing, and daily use. Every product and printable starts from a real studio need, then it’s refined, adjusted, and simplified until it feels right.
I prototype in small batches, gather feedback from fellow artists, and tweak again before sharing anything with you. Nothing is rushed, everything comes from time spent making.
FOR
The Artist Nest is for potters, illustrators, printmakers, painters, make-up artists, massage therapists, photographers, fashion designers, gardeners, graffiti artists, multidisciplinar artists, graphic designers and creators of all kinds. It’s for anyone who needs beauty, clarity, and practicality in their workspace and when working on the go.
Whether you’re just starting or deep in your practice, I hope you’ll find something here that helps you feel more grounded, more organised, and more supported in your making.
Why Potters Choose The Artist Nest Bag
After two years of design and testing, The Artist Bag emerged as the solution to tool organisation and portability. If you're curious about what makes it different from other pottery bags on the market, I've written a detailed guide.