A Love Affair: How One Mola Sparked a Lifelong Passion for Panama’s Indigenous Art

A Childhood Moment That Changed Everything

People often ask how I got started in the mola business. The short answer is that it all began with a single moment in childhood. The long answer is a story filled with color, culture, and a lasting connection.

It was sometime in the early 1950s. I was just a young boy, maybe seven or eight, when my mother brought me along to visit a friend. We stepped into her house, and there it was. A wall full of framed molas. They were unlike anything I had ever seen. Bursting with color, pattern, and detail, each one seemed to have its own personality.

But there was one in particular that held me still. It was designed like a spiderweb. The strands shimmered with different hues and seemed to pulse with life. I could still hear my mother talking somewhere in the background, but I was no longer present in that room. My eyes were walking across that wall, and I was falling in love.

Life Moves On, But the Memory Lingers

As the years passed, I didn’t think much about molas. Like many boys, I got caught up in sports, bikes, and books. My focus shifted to school and, eventually, college. After graduation, I found myself in the Army. The war was on, and like everyone else, I went where I was needed.

What I didn’t expect was for the Army to send me back to Panama, the place where I had grown up. This time, I returned with more life experience but the same curiosity and appreciation for culture. And somehow, without any effort, the magic of molas found me again.

Returning to Panama and Rediscovering Molas

Being back in Panama felt like a gift. I was surrounded by warm air, beautiful landscapes, and the smiling faces of artists in the markets. Molas were everywhere. I couldn’t avoid them even if I tried.

When I wasn’t busy with my military duties, I was walking through local stalls, talking to artisans, and buying molas. I started reconnecting with the people behind the art, learning their stories and celebrating their creativity. It didn’t feel like a job. It felt like coming home.

Exploring Panama’s Artisan Communities

After the war ended, I left Panama once again to pursue further education. But the seed had already been planted. Years later, when General Noriega left office, I saw a new opportunity to return.

In 1990, I came back to Panama with a mission to reconnect. I began working directly with local artists, starting with basket weavers and then moving on to ceramicists and tagua carvers. Every new art form fascinated me. I wasn’t just learning how things were made. I was connecting with communities, stories, and histories.

Each day felt more rewarding than the last.

Molas Reclaim the Spotlight

At some point, I found myself drawn back into the world of molas. Maybe I had been saving the best for last. Or maybe molas had just been waiting patiently for my full attention.

Once I started buying and selling molas again, they quickly became the core of my work. They weren’t just textiles. They were personal. Every piece was a reflection of the artist who made it, the traditions behind it, and the culture it represented. I knew then that this would be my focus.

The Beginning of Molamagic

With the rise of the internet, I saw a new way to share this passion with others. I created online stores, listed molas on marketplaces, and began telling the story that had lived in me since childhood.

To my amazement, people responded. Customers from around the world were not only buying molas. They were falling in love with them. I had found a way to pass on the feeling I had in that living room all those years ago.

That’s when I started calling it Molamagic. Because that’s exactly what it is. It’s not just fabric. It’s not just craft. It’s the feeling that something beautiful and meaningful has just reached you on a deeper level.

Final Reflections: The Power of One Mola

Looking back, it’s clear that I didn’t find molas. They found me. From a single moment as a boy to a full-circle journey across decades, molas have been a quiet guide through my life.

They are more than art. They are symbols of identity, resilience, and connection. And I am honored to be a small part of helping the world discover them.

I hope you find your own moment of magic, just as I did.