The USM Art Gallery in Gorham is displaying a collection of molas, reverse appliquéd fabric panels worn on the blouses of Kuna women.
The Kuna are an indigenous people from Panama and Columbia. A mola, which means “shirt” or “clothing”, is an intricately produced textile made up of many layers and colors and is a prominent form of artistic expression for Kuna people, as well as an economic asset.
Molas originated with Kuna women painting geometric designs on their bodies with the natural colors available to them. As the Spanish conquest of the Americas began, fabrics became accessible to the Kuna people and the reverse appliqué sewing technique was used to create the panels. They display colorful design motifs of flora, fauna, sea-life, and modern images such as political posters, pictures from books and cartoons, and traditional themes from Kuna legends and culture.
Some look as if they are influenced by American pop culture, with familiar commercial images incorporated into the design.
When a Kuna woman is finished wearing a mola, she sells it to a collector. The value of a mola is determined by its number of layers, fineness of stitching, evenness and widths of fabric cutouts, embroidered detail, and general artistic merit. The visible wear of a mola indicates its authenticity.
The collection is on loan from Hudson Museum at the University of Maine in Orono, which is currently renovating their gallery. USM Art Gallery assistant Jessica Albee said it was a good opportunity for USM to take advantage of. “We’ve had a really good turnout,” she said.
Albee said grade schools and middle schools from all around Southern Maine have been taking field trips to view the Molas. Even art classes at USM have been coming to sketch them.
On Saturday, October 25, a panel discussion regarding the pieces will take place in room 10 of Bailey Hall from 1 to 2:30 pm. It will be moderated by Carolyn Eyler, director of exhibitions and programs at the USM Art Galleries. A reception will follow from 2:30 to 5pm. This event is sponsored by the USM Art Department, History Department, Geography-Anthropology Department, and the Hudson Museum at the University of Maine.
The Molas show runs until November 9 and is on view in Gorham.