As inflation devastates Venezuela, artists make purses and paintings out of bills

In a windowless apartment on the outskirts of this Colombian border down, Jesús Campos puts the final stitches on his latest creation: A violet and khaki handbag made exclusively from Venezuela’s rapidly depreciating currency.

The bag is made with 800 Venezuelan bolívar bills that have been carefully folded in rectangles and woven together in a geometric pattern. They are so tightly packed that water can’t get through, and the bag feels similar to fake leather. 

In Venezuela, the bolívar bills used to make this purse wouldn’t be enough to purchase a coffee, says Mr. Campos. In Colombia, he can fetch around $10 for the handbag