Mola Art

Mola Art, also called Kuna Mola, is an amazing creation by the women of the Kuna or Cuna tribe from Central America. Living directly on the San Blas Islands of Panama, these women create some of the most gorgeous pieces of art imaginable. Using a special appliqué process called “reverse appliqué” the women take numerous layers of cloth, each of varying color. These layers are then stitched together loosely while the top layers are fine-tipped cut with special scissors. The cut edges are then folded back at which time they are stitched to the bottom layer.

The word Mola translates into “blouse”. Although Mola Art was originally artwork done on women’s blouses as a means of adding beautiful color and design, today you will find Mola Art done on more than just blouses and in many cases, used as an actual form of art that is framed and proudly displayed. The wonderful aspect of the Mola pieces is that they are all so unique and vibrant. Women have the freedom to create beautiful designs of nature, which today, has become an increasingly popular type of apparel worn in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Most pieces consist of some type of motif constructed on several layers. As the designs are made, the cutting process exposes the underlying colors. While it might sound simple, once you have seen Mola art, you can see that this is truly a developed skill. This method of cutting instead of drawing is one aspect that makes each design unique. Once the piece is complete, the panels are then used to create both front and back pieces for the blouse. This way, the Kuna Indian women looked beautiful both coming and going.

The nice aspect of Mola art is that so many different designs could be used. For instance, common motifs would include flowers, fish, crab, parrots, fish, squirrel, monkey, dolphin, and much more. Typically, you find the chosen design representing nature and things that are a part of the women’s everyday life. However, what is so stunning is that regardless of the design, the colors are gorgeous – bright and vivid. The detailing is what makes the Mola art so interesting, each design meticulously designed to impress. In fact, no matter how many blouses or other art forms are made, there are never two designs exactly alike.

Other things commonly seen in the Mola art is anything to do with medicine, politics, dreams, fantasy, legends, imaginations, and literally anything that the woman experiences or observes. Because of this, you see women using the things around them, as well as things important in their life, both pleasure and work. Then, these designs are constructed into magnificent geometric and abstract motifs. Since each woman envisions the completed piece in her own mind, they are all so amazing and different. Therefore, even if 10 women created monkey motifs, each would ultimately be unique.

The most important thing is that the Mola art should be beautiful, appearing realistic, and three-dimensional. The woman will take her design of choice, adding her own personality or feelings into the creation. For that reason, if she were happy one day and made a bird motif but sad the next day, again making a bird motif, each design would be different.

Because Mola art could easily be viewed along with a fine painting, there are many masterpieces hanging in museums as actual art. The stitches are perfect, making the completed pieces spectacular. Keep in mind that each of the Mola art pieces measure 16 x 13 inches, meaning whether the design were an elephant, flower, or something mythological, the size would be the same. Although difficult to find in most countries, getting your hands on a Mola blouse or piece of artwork is a lifetime treasure.