Daily Inspiration: Meet Nikol Manes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikol Manes.

Hi Nikol, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m a self-taught mosaic artist, and my love for glasswork started in college in 1996. What began as curiosity slowly became a creative outlet that has followed me through different phases of my life. There were times when I created constantly, and other times when art became quieter in the background, but it never really left me.

My mosaic guitar work started in a pretty unexpected way. My boyfriend found a broken guitar that had been thrown away, and I thought, this may be a useful piece one day. I saw something in it. I brought it home, rebuilt it, and covered it in hand-cut glass. That first guitar made me realize I could take something damaged or forgotten and turn it into something beautiful, functional, and completely new.

That moment became the foundation for the art I create today: fully playable mosaic guitars and ukuleles that combine music, craftsmanship, color, and storytelling. I love the idea of taking an object that already has a voice and transforming it into something visually powerful without taking away its original purpose.

What makes this journey even more meaningful is that my boyfriend is now creating guitars as a luthier, and we are beginning to collaborate together in a new way. His craftsmanship and my mosaic work allow us to create original, one-of-a-kind pieces that feel truly unique, personal, and special.

Each piece I make is designed by hand and reflects part of my imagination, personality, and lived experience. Some designs are playful, some are bold, and some are deeply personal. My work is about turning ordinary objects into functional art pieces that can still be played, displayed, and experienced.

It’s an honor to share this work with others. My hope is that people connect with the pieces not only because they are beautiful, but because they carry a story of renewal, creativity, and possibility.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has definitely not always been smooth. One thing I did not expect was the amount of skepticism and questioning I receive when people see my pieces at art shows and art walks. My shiny mosaic guitars often pull people in from across the room, and many walk right up excitedly asking how heavy they are, whether they can actually be played, or if all that glass affects the sound.

I always explain that yes, they are heavier than a standard guitar, but not too heavy to wear with a strap. They are not everyday guitars, and they are not meant to be. They are your encore piece, your open mic piece, your statement piece, or the piece you hang on the wall and take down when someone says, “Wait, does that actually play?”

Most importantly, they are art that functions. I think that surprises people, and sometimes it even challenges what they think a guitar or a mosaic is supposed to be. The amount of questioning can be astounding, but I do not let it discourage me. If anything, it means people are thinking about the work. They are curious. They are engaged. And to me, that is part of the art.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
What I am most proud of is that I have created a style of work that feels completely my own. My guitars tend to stop people in their tracks because they challenge the idea of what a guitar, a mosaic, or even a piece of art is “supposed” to be. People are used to seeing guitars as instruments and mosaics as something decorative or architectural, but I like bringing those worlds together in a way that feels unexpected. My pieces are heavier than standard instruments, of course, but they are still functional, playable, expressive, and full of personality. I love that they can hang on a wall like a statement piece, but also be taken down, plugged in, played, and experienced in a completely different way.

What sets my work apart is the combination of craftsmanship, durability, imagination, and a little bit of defiance. These are not mass-produced decorative objects, and they are not novelty pieces. Each instrument is individually designed, hand-cut, grouted, polished, restrung, and brought back to life with its own personality. I put a lot of thought into how each piece looks, feels, and functions, because I want the final result to be both beautiful and usable. My goal is to create art that does more than sit still. I want it to shine, play, start conversations, make people curious, and maybe even make them question what functional art can be.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love this city more than anything. I was born and raised here, so I am a true LA native, and I really do feel connected to this place. From the beach to downtown, from the hills to the old neighborhoods, there is nowhere else like Los Angeles. Where else can you find mountains, beaches, city views, palm trees, historic architecture, and people from all over the world all in one place?

What I love most about LA is its older character and history. I love the Spanish-style homes, the Art Deco buildings, the mid-century modern architecture, and all the little pockets of the city that still feel like old-school Los Angeles. It amazes me that not that long ago, so much of what we see now was orange orchards, early Hollywood, and neighborhoods just beginning to take shape. LA has always been changing, but there is something really special about the layers of history that are still here.

What I like least is watching some of that character disappear. I know cities grow and change, but it is hard to see older buildings, small businesses, and unique neighborhoods get replaced by things that sometimes feel generic or disconnected from the history of the city. LA is beautiful because it has personality, culture, grit, glamour, and weirdness all mixed together — and I hope we never lose that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.51percentmosaics.com
• Instagram: @51percent
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/51percentMosaics
• Other: https://51percent.etsy.com

Image Credits
Photos by Aaron Strebs.