Australian sculptor Elliot Bastianon and Punjab's master coppersmith Hari Krishan have joined forces for an exhibition titled 'Analogue and Alchemy' in New Delhi, uniting contemporary metal sculpture with the UNESCO-recognised Thathera tradition of hand-crafted copper and brass work. The collaboration, showcased in July 2025, underscores the deepening cultural ties between India and Australia through the shared language of craft.

The Artists and Their Methods

Bastianon, an Australian artist based in New Delhi, is known for his distinctive sculptural process: he stacks identical metal pieces and applies electroplating to transform them into dense, geological-like forms — both wall-mounted and freestanding. His partner in this project, Hari Krishan, carries forward hand-forming techniques that have been transmitted across generations for over 200 years within his family.

The pairing is deliberate and conceptually rich. Where Bastianon's practice is rooted in industrial process and repetition, Krishan's craft is entirely hand-driven — each vessel shaped by eye, touch, and inherited knowledge. Together, they explore what happens when these two vocabularies of making are placed in conversation.

The Thathera Tradition

The Thathera craft originates from Jandiala Guru in Punjab, where artisans have traditionally manufactured brass and copper utensils using techniques passed down without written instruction. UNESCO inscribed the craft on its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognising it as a living tradition at risk of disappearing. According to UNESCO's documentation, the metals used — copper, brass, and certain alloys — are also believed to carry health benefits in the communities that use them.

The Thathera community's survival depends on continued demand for their work. Collaborations such as this one are seen by cultural observers as a meaningful, if partial, response to the economic pressures that have drawn younger artisans away from the trade.

What the Australian High Commission Said

The Australian High Commission in India highlighted the exhibition on Instagram, stating: 'Innovation thrives at the intersection of tradition and modernity. In a remarkable cross-cultural collaboration, Australian artist Elliot Bastianon has teamed up with Punjab's master coppersmith Hari Krishan to present Analogue and Alchemy — an exhibition that blends contemporary sculptural practice with the UNESCO-recognised Thathera craft using hand-crafted copper and brass.'

The High Commission added: 'Beyond the striking visual art, this partnership supports a rare, generational North Indian metalworking tradition. It's a powerful example of how international creative collaboration can preserve cultural heritage while driving artistic innovation, reflecting deepening Australia-India cultural ties.'

Heritage, Innovation, and What Comes Next

The exhibition arrives at a moment when India-Australia cultural exchange has been gaining institutional momentum, with both governments investing in people-to-people programmes alongside the bilateral economic relationship. 'Analogue and Alchemy' sits within that broader current — a ground-level example of how artistic partnerships can do what policy documents often cannot: make an endangered tradition visible to new audiences.

Whether the collaboration leads to a longer-term programme supporting Thathera artisans remains to be seen, but the exhibition has already drawn attention to a craft that, without such interventions, risks fading within a generation.