Case study 12 / 16Live painting / Performance by Dr Srinidhi Chidambaram2026

Bharatanatyam

A painting developed live alongside a Bharatanatyam recital and Carnatic music ensemble, shaped by sound, gesture and movement.

Rhea Fabian with Dr Srinidhi Chidambaram and the completed live painting after the recital.
01Artist, performer and completed painting

Created during a one-hour Bharatanatyam recital by Dr Srinidhi Chidambaram, this painting developed live alongside the performance and a Carnatic music ensemble.

Format
Live painting
Performance
Dr Srinidhi Chidambaram
Music
Live Carnatic ensemble
Duration
One hour
01

Sound and movement

The composition was shaped by the relationship between sound and movement: the live music, the rhythmic beat of the dancer's anklets, and the forms created through her gestures and movement across the stage.

These elements guided the painting's structure, colour and rhythm as it evolved in real time.

02Painting alongside the recital
02

Completing the performance

Rhea painted continuously for the duration of the recital, completing the work as the curtains fell. The final painting captures traces of the dancer's movement, the shapes formed through performance, and the visual impact of rhythm and sound.

03Live painting process
Dr Srinidhi Chidambaram performing beside Rhea's live painting.
04Performance view