Mola Textile Art of the Cuna Indians
Get inspired by the Cuna Indian culture and design your own Mola artwork.
- Investigate Mola artwork created by the Central American Cuna Indians of the San Blas Islands in Panama.
- Discover how different cultures use animal symbolism.
- Explore elements of negative and positive space.
- Experience culture through the vibrant opaque tropical colors and free flowing patterns of animals and daily life of the Cuna Indian Mola art.
Dixon Ticonderoga Materials:
- Tru-Ray® Construction Paper, Classic Colors, 9" x1 2", 50 Sheets
- Prang® Disappearing Blue Washable Glue Stick
- Ticonderoga® Pre-Sharpened Pencil, Yellow, 4 Count
- Prang® Sketcho Oil Crayons, 12 Count
Other Materials:
- Scissors
Step One
Research Molas are brightly colored, intricately designed cloth panels worn by the Cuna Indian women. Students can use books or information from the internet to reference original Mola artwork and how animals are symbolized in this artwork. Original Molas can also be purchased through the internet so students can see first-hand how they are made with several layers of textiles.
Step Two
Construction of Artwork Start with three 9" x 12" sheets of contrasting colors of Tru-Ray®Construction Paper. Next take two of the colors and fold them in half. On one of these sheets, draw a large animal shape, staying at least 1/2" from open edges. If you want the finished project to have two symmetrical animals, draw the entire animal on the half sheet, overlapping part of the animal on the fold (Example A, Fish Mola). Or if you want only one animal shape then draw half of the animal on the half sheet starting from the fold (Example B, Bird Mola). Cut the animal out. This is your positive shape. Take the positive shape, still folded, lay it on top of the second sheet of folded paper, making sure to line up the folds and draw a line 1/4" away from positive shape (Example C). Cut this shape out and set aside. Take the remaining paper and unfold it revealing the negative shape.
Step Three
Assembling Artwork Gather positive shape, negative shape and remaining full sheet of 9" x 12" construction paper (Example D). Glue negative sheet onto full sheet of construction paper. Unfold positive shape and glue inside of negative sheet. (Example E).
Step Four
Finishing Artwork: Fill in around animal by cutting shapes out of any remaining Tru-Ray® Construction Paper or use beautifully colored Prang® Sketcho Oil Crayons, 12 CounPrang® Sketcho Oil Crayons, 12 Count.
Step Five
To create the super hero emblem, use the template and cut out a large diamond shape out of Red construction paper, and a smaller diamond out of Yellow construction paper. Cut out a large letter D from red construction paper.
Glue the Yellow diamond to the center of the Red diamond. Glue the D to the center of the Yellow diamond. Place inside the card on the top of the blue construction paper.