--- title: "Biography Sculptures by Prashant Pandey | Sustainable Art from Jaipur" description: "Explore 'Biography', a collection of sculptures created from over 350,000 discarded cigarette butts. Prashant Pandey transforms urban waste into delicate contemporary art." canonical: https://mytribe.in/prashantsculptor/bespoke-sculptural-art/biography-from-waste-to-wonder last_updated: 2026-02-10 --- # Biography: From Waste to Wonder Tribe Verified · 350,000 cigarette butts transformed into art By [Prashant Pandey](https://mytribe.in/prashantsculptor) · Takes projects across India; Visit studio in Jaipur · ₹3.5L Per Artwork (4ft - 5ft) (estimate) Part of [Bespoke Sculptural Art](https://mytribe.in/prashantsculptor/bespoke-sculptural-art). [View full gallery](https://mytribe.in/prashantsculptor/bespoke-sculptural-art/gallery) Transforming discarded cigarette butts into monumental sculptural forms, my five-year journey of material, memory, and metamorphosis. ## Photos and videos - ![The 'Biography' series installed for an exhibition, where the three leaf-like forms create a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. Each sculpture is suspended to appear weightless, embodying the idea of a memory floating in space.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/c3aa7568-c1c5-4cca-8818-9211e0397715) - ![This backlit macro shot highlights the intricate texture created by stitching together thousands of cleaned cigarette butts. The light passing through reveals their new form, resembling a field of delicate, translucent flowers.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/a29a61a6-1a8e-4998-b604-1cd16e1a7682) - ![A detail shot showing the curved edge and porous surface of a 'Biography' sculpture. The structure is supported by a hidden cane and steel skeleton, allowing the delicate material to hold its organic, flowing shape.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/64e7d533-cfa0-4308-8bab-70e29ff8277e) - [Video: A walkthrough of the 'Biography' installation at the India Art Fair. The video pans across the different forms, showing how they occupy the space and how viewers interact with them, often moving closer to understand the material.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/9935a326-feae-4503-b959-25a627d58b2e) - [Video: This drone footage captures the monumental scale of the 'Biography' installation at Gallery Maskara. The camera moves through the suspended forms, offering perspectives from wide angles to intimate close-ups of the textured surfaces.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/b2efa13e-fc62-4dba-b096-45d1d675a89e) - ![In this close-up, you can see the individual cigarette filters, each carrying a trace of a past moment. Assembled together, they form a collective archive of time and human habit, transformed into a new, unified whole.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/0a5424e9-2d5b-4ac5-952f-9f2631f23174) - ![A composite image showing both the large, leaf-like sculpture and a detailed view of its surface. This juxtaposition highlights the contrast between the overall organic shape and the industrial origin of its components.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/2cd11efd-6ee1-4bc0-ab7d-1a3f00bee340) - ![This split image displays the sculpture's texture under direct light and its elegant form from a distance. It demonstrates how the work changes based on the viewer's proximity and the lighting conditions of the space.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/80a87837-8820-4fa7-8438-d4404ff7c1f8) - ![A framed presentation of the 'Biography' installation, bordered by the raw texture of the cigarette butts. This composition emphasizes the core concept: framing waste as art and finding beauty in the discarded.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/0311aec1-8a28-44e5-927d-06b3ff20a48a) - ![This side-by-side view contrasts the full installation with a macro detail of the material. It serves as a visual summary of the project, showing both the grand artistic vision and the humble, recycled material it is built from.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/79d401d8-fec9-4c55-b19d-3f9a55e9591f) - [Video: This promotional video for the 'Biography' exhibition introduces my work and educational background. It combines portraits with sweeping views of the installation, inviting viewers to experience the culmination of five years of labor.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/892b5fee-335e-4c6e-b62f-52e4ec63a109) - [Video: Here I am with my completed installation, surrounded by the shadows the sculptures cast on the gallery walls. The interplay of light and shadow is a key element, creating an immersive environment that extends beyond the physical objects.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/1e305116-18a8-4a02-8ff4-2c515199717b) - ![A photograph focusing on the shadow cast by a 'Biography' sculpture. The shadow itself becomes a secondary artwork, a ghostly echo of the physical form that speaks to the themes of memory and traces left behind.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/edc96137-e197-431b-93bc-775e5cc7f5ad) - ![A feature in a publication showing my work. The text explains my philosophy on giving back to the earth and how the leaf form mimics our own cycle of life, growing, serving a purpose, and returning to the earth.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/9c0f1ba7-93ae-41ee-8916-02050264121a) - [Video: A portrait of me holding a smaller piece from the 'Biography' series. This provides a sense of scale and a personal connection to the work, showing the artist alongside his creation.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/b574bdb2-ab11-4926-ad98-fa9b2b812ba3) - ![This circular sculpture, made from cigarette butts, hangs in a traditional Rajasthani room at Jaigarh Fort. The piece symbolizes endless cycles and creates a powerful contrast between modern waste and historical heritage.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/9570c885-672e-4b02-9b57-8b2f43979c7d) - ![Two leaf forms from the 'Biography' series displayed at The Sculpture Park in Jaigarh. The caption describes them as "a leaf reborn from waste," symbolizing renewal and the fragile balance between consumption and nature.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/1d0ed155-7cd7-480b-86c7-91139d245eb5) - ![A singular, tail-like form from the 'Biography' series, laid out for display. This piece showcases a different shape within the collection, moving from leaf-like structures to more abstract, primal forms.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/31ade0f9-e02d-406c-9936-1f5d8fafdead) - [Video: This video captures the dynamic shadows and light play of a spiral 'Biography' sculpture installed within a niche. The movement shows how the artwork transforms its environment, making the surrounding walls part of the piece.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/d476f48e-34d5-40a4-aaa5-deeb554115ef) - ![Visitors contemplating the spiral sculpture at The Sculpture Park. This image shows how the artwork engages its audience, inviting them to look closer and discuss its meaning and material.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/09288be2-d7d9-4525-8e37-9d54aac0121c) - ![Two sculptures from the 'Biography' series displayed at the India Art Fair. The organic, flowing shapes contrast with the stark white wall, highlighting their form and the intricate detail of their construction.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/41ef9d6f-7a13-42df-b41d-cf9167e08e4b) ## About Biography: From Waste to Wonder You might wonder about the material, as every single cigarette filter used here is chemically sanitized and rendered completely odorless before it ever enters my studio. I stitch each piece by hand using a lightweight cane and steel armature, ensuring that these forms remain durable and clean enough to be displayed in private homes, corporate lobbies, or gallery spaces. This body of work represents five years of quiet, repetitive labor. My team and I collect discarded filters from streets, then clean and sanitize them to create a raw material that is safe, clean, and scent-free. When I build these forms, I am thinking about the traces of breath left behind by thousands of strangers. The work is not about the waste itself, but about the story of the material. The technique involves weaving these filters around a hidden armature of cane and mild steel. This gives the sculptures their organic, flowing shape, much like a leaf or a cloud, while remaining structurally sound for permanent installation. Whether you are looking for a wall-mounted piece for your living room or a massive, cascading vertical installation for a high-ceilinged atrium, the process remains the same: slow, deliberate, and deeply personal. As a Jaipur-based artist, I work with clients across India to design pieces that respond to specific light and architectural volume. Each sculpture comes with a signed certificate of authenticity and dedicated installation support. If you are interested in bringing this dialogue between waste and wonder into your own space, let us discuss how a custom commission could respond to your environment. ## About Prashant Pandey I am a sculptor from Jaipur, born into a tradition of stone carving but drawn to the stories hidden in the things we discard. My work is not just about making objects, but about finding the purity in materials that have already lived a life. [See all of Prashant Pandey's services](https://mytribe.in/prashantsculptor) ## More from Bespoke Sculptural Art by Prashant Pandey - [Featured](https://mytribe.in/prashantsculptor/bespoke-sculptural-art/featured) - [KAMA & Other Marble Works: Sculpting Stories in Stone](https://mytribe.in/prashantsculptor/bespoke-sculptural-art/kama-other-marble-works-sculpting-stories-in-stone) - [Site-Specific Installations: Art in Dialogue with Space](https://mytribe.in/prashantsculptor/bespoke-sculptural-art/site-specific-installations-art-in-dialogue-with-space) - [The Artist's Process: A Meditative Journey](https://mytribe.in/prashantsculptor/bespoke-sculptural-art/the-artist-s-process-a-meditative-journey) - [Conversations & Press](https://mytribe.in/prashantsculptor/bespoke-sculptural-art/conversations-press) - [Additional Works & Exhibitions](https://mytribe.in/prashantsculptor/bespoke-sculptural-art/additional-works-exhibitions) ## Similar work from other experts - [Art from Waste: Sustainable Creations](https://mytribe.in/madsterdrama/custom-art-installations-murals/art-from-waste-sustainable-creations) by Madhuri Umashankar · Custom Art Installations & Murals · On-site projects in Bengaluru and across India - [Upcycled Sculptures and Electronic Wall Art](https://mytribe.in/the-upcycle-store/sustainable-art-design-services/sculptures-gallery-pieces) by Vishwanath Mallabadi · Sustainable Art & Design Services · Bengaluru and outstation projects in India - [Additional Works and Creative Explorations](https://mytribe.in/artbyshrutij/live-art-brand-collaborations/additional-works) by Shruti Jhaveri · Live Art & Brand Collaborations · Takes projects across India; Studio in Breach Candy, Mumbai - [Behind the Scenes of My Sand Art Journey](https://mytribe.in/sandartisthegde/sand-digital-artwork/the-artist-process-recognition) by Raghavendra Hegde · Sand & Digital Artwork · Ships across India; Visit studio in Yeswanthpur, Bengaluru - [Creative Experiments and Archival Sculpture Installations](https://mytribe.in/hiteshgilder/custom-sculpture-commissions/additional-works-archival-pieces) by Hitesh Gilder · Custom Sculpture Commissions · Takes commissions and installs across India - [Delhi Airport Mural: Art from Recycled Waste](https://mytribe.in/pragyajain.art/large-scale-murals-installations/the-delhi-airport-mural-from-waste-to-wonder) by Pragya Jain · Large-Scale Murals & Installations · Takes projects across India; Visit studio in UB City, Bengaluru ## Book To book Prashant Pandey, message mytribe on WhatsApp: [Chat on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/916360004054?text=Hi%20Prashant%2C%20I%20was%20looking%20at%20your%20'Biography'%20collection.%20I%20would%20love%20to%20know%20more%20about%20the%20pricing%20and%20process%20for%20a%20custom%20commission.)