Women’s Cultural Identity as a Framework for Group Learning in Mural-Making

This study assumes that the image of woman in art reflects social transformations and values. Historically, representations range from realistic to symbolic and religious, carrying connotations of beauty, fertility, and nurture. The research proposes a methodological framework for mobilizing the lexicon of women’s cultural identity—facial features, attire, jewelry, and architectural and ornamental motifs—in collaborative murals executed in natural leather within an educational environment grounded in collaborative learning, while avoiding unexamined cross-cultural amalgamation and adhering to sound design principles. The research problem lies in the scarcity of studies that employ leather as a mural medium and in the limited use of collaborative learning to enhance artistic quality. The study adopted a descriptive–analytical approach to examine portrayals of women across multiple civilizations and the history of mural art, alongside a quasi-experimental project that implemented collaborative learning in small groups. The program comprised technical orientation and micro-exercises, followed by collective design through brainstorming sessions, reference boards, and individually authored cards documenting the cultural context. The murals were executed using debossing and embossing (doming), carving and pyrography, cutwork and appliqué, and stitching, together with selective dyeing and appropriate inlays, then mounted on wooden frames. The experiment produced semi-sculptural leather murals that preserved the hide’s natural edge and achieved unity, balance, rhythm, and visual hierarchy with technical rigor and precise finishing. The results affirm leather’s viability as a contemporary mural medium and underscore the contribution of collaborative learning to product quality and to students’ cultural belonging, while offering a replicable procedural guide for art education.