Venezuelans in Colombia Turn Worthless Bills into Art

In the historic center of Bogota, Colombia, just a few steps from ‘Plaza de Bolivar’, Venezuelans sell paintings and handbags made from hundreds of “worthless” bills. ColombiaOne interviewed two of these artisans, who spoke about how the idea was born, their technique, and their motivations.

Venezuelan transforms bills into paintings in Colombia

One of the artisans is a former university administration professor who explained that his skill started life as a simple hobby. Later, after a theater director expressed admiration for his creations, the Venezuelan turned it into his work.

The man collected hundreds of Venezuelan bills that were being thrown away, and now, using a delicate technique he calls “recursive,” turns them into artistic pieces. With paint and a brush, he portrays globally known figures, from Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa to former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

The man says that for him, the bills themselves tell a story of the situation in Venezuela. He also explains that, initially, he didn’t want to portray leaders like Chavez or Nicolas Maduro, but he started doing so after a foreigner requested a portrait of one of them on the bills.

In this way, a certain irony is displayed, with foreigners wanting to see depictions of “the very people who influenced the devaluation of the currency”. The works hanging on the brick walls of downtown Bogota include around seven bills of different values, ​​such as 1000, 500, 100, and 50 Venezualan bolivars. The former teacher explains that his work is based on transforming “something worthless” into a “valuable” product.

Woman turns Venezuelan bills into wallets on Colombian streets

Ana Rojas is a Venezuelan who also dedicates herself to transforming devalued bills into crafts. In her case, she creates handbags, wallets, coin purses, and keychains using a folding or origami technique. To make a medium-sized wallet, she explains that she has to weave more than 350 bills, a process that she doesn’t find “fair” but which she has had to take advantage of due to her difficult economic situation.

With artists like these, the streets of Bogota have become open-air art galleries. The Venezuelan artisans, who are frequently accompanied by musicians, explain that leaving their jobs and living far away from their families and friends in Venezuela has been a “tough” process. The artisans express that the need for food gives them their daily motivation to continue with their art, while they long for a better future for their homeland.

The Chavista regime has removed 14 zeros off the bolivar in three monetary reconversion processes, which occurred in 2008, 2018, and 2021. Due to its pronounced devaluation, it lost 51.18% of its value in 2023 against the US dollar, the reference currency used in the Caribbean nation to set prices and fees.

The bolivar has been used in Venezuela since 1879, and its origin dates back to the heroic actions of Simon Bolivar, famous for his work in fighting for the independence of the country and other nations in the region.