In a month, Edgar earns $800 for using a needle to transform purses into sought after wardrobe pieces. As an inmate at the Reclusorio Norte in Mexico City, the tattoo artist participates in Prison Art – a nonprofit organization that rehabs prisoners in Mexican jails – and now tattoos handbags with intricate images.
For Edgar, the experience has served as a sort of therapy, but it’s also helped him and his family. “I don’t have to ask my family [for money] anymore,” he told AJ+. “It’s actually the opposite, now I can offer them something. Even though it’s not much, I can offer them something. It’s no longer about asking them so that I can survive here.”
Prison Art currently works with more than 200 prisoners and can be purchased in five boutiques around Mexico. The company plans to expand its business and sell its bags in the United States and Tokyo. Check out AJ+’s video below to see more of his creations:
Los presos mexicanos que hacen carteras de lujoPrison Art México convierte a los tatuadores presos en diseñadores de bolsos exclusivos.
Posted by AJ+ Español on Tuesday, March 29, 2016