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What are Molas?
Molas are a brightly colored textile art created by the Kuna tribe from the San Blas Blas region of Panama. Mola means cloth or clothing in the Kuna language. These panels of stacked cloth are used to make women’s blouses. Girls learn to make these at an early age and can spend up to 100 hours making one Mola! Traditional designs include animals, geometric patterns, and scenes from everyday life. Follow these steps below to create your own!
Supplies Needed:
- Black construction paper
- Crayons
- Pencil
- Images of Molas
Directions:
- Take a half sheet of black construction paper. In the center of the paper, design your center figure such as an animal, using geometric patterns with the vibrant colored crayons. It may help to first draw your animal in pencil and go over it in crayons.
- Create an interesting frame around the edge of your paper with geometric shapes and add detail lines to fill the background.
Conclusion
Just like we use art for self-expression, the ancient art of mola making has been a way for the Kuna people to express themselves for generations. Art is a great way to learn about a culture for the first time.
