Mola Art

Molas are colorful, detailed and beautiful pieces of stitched artwork, but they also carry significant cultural meaning for indigenous communities in Colombia.

Molas are a piece of artwork created in fabric in a technique commonly called appliqué. Artists create them by superposing different colored fabrics in the form of a rectangle, which they then cut and sew to create different patterns. Molas originated from the indigenous community of the Gunadules (also known as Kuna or Tule), located around the border between Colombia and Panama. In this community, women are the ones in charge of the design and sewing of Molas, which they then wear as a fundamental piece of their garment. This type of art is applied to anything from shoes,to shoulder bags, to even blankets.

Molas usually include designs of animals, landscapes and geometrical figures. Each color, and therefore each layer, represents one part of the universe where only “neles” (women spiritual leaders) can go. Each Mola has a name and even its own song that is always connected to its spiritual and physical state. Through the designs, the community transmits their beliefs of how it’s possible to live a happy and fulfilling life. Every piece takes five to seven days to complete, and the quality of the sewing and the design is a source of pride and prestige among the women.