Foreign Artist Paints Elephant Pink For Photoshoot In Jaipur, Faces Outrage: "Deeply Upsetting"

Art photographer Julia Buruleva is facing backlash online after images and videos of a pink-painted elephant from a photoshoot in Jaipur went viral on social media. The images featured a model posing atop the vividly painted elephant, prompting accusations of animal exploitation. The shoot was held at an abandoned temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha, a choice Buruleva described as "perfect" given the deity's elephant-headed form.

The photographer, who also shared behind-the-scenes footage on Instagram, explained that the concept emerged after spending several weeks in Jaipur. Calling elephants a key cultural symbol of Rajasthan, she said she wanted to incorporate one into her work. "Elephants are everywhere there - streets, ornaments, architecture. Practically the main symbol of Rajasthan. I just couldn't pass by without including one," she wrote on Instagram. 

She also outlined the extensive preparation involved, from scouting locations and securing permissions to visiting multiple elephant facilities in search of cooperation.

In the shoot, the model -- partially unclothed and painted pink -- posed on the elephant, which had been coloured in the same shade. Buruleva maintained that only organic colours were used and insisted the animal was not harmed. "For anyone worried about the elephant - we used organic, locally-made paint, the same kind locals use for festivals, so it was absolutely safe for the animal," she added. 

See the post here:
 

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A post shared by Julia Buruleva (@julia.buruleva)

The Backlash

Despite the clarification, the images quickly went viral and drew thousands of reactions. While some praised the bold artistic direction, criticism soon dominated, with many users objecting to the use of a live animal in such a context.

Internet users and wildlife lovers slammed the photoshoot, calling it "animal abuse" and "exploitation." Many users argued that subjecting a live animal to such an extensive process for aesthetics is unethical, suggesting the photographer "should've just used AI" to achieve the same visual effect.

One user wrote, "Creative freedom is not a free pass for irresponsible expression. This is just a very bad judgement call on your part. Turning an elephant into a pink prop for aesthetics is deeply inappropriate, both ethically and culturally. Whether intentional or not, content like this normalizes using animals as decorative objects and encourages others to push similar lines for attention. Using an animal this way sets a troubling example of what people will justify in the name of creativity. On top of that, you mention Lord Ganesh.. clearly, you have misunderstood the culture. And a city like Jaipur, doesn't need this kind of manufactured shock value. What a weak and dishonourable representation of the city."

Another commented, "Using organic colours doesn't justify the fact that you had to subject an animal to being entirely painted on their body for your art. Elephants have very porous skin and are highly sensitive . As an artist surely you could find / imagine / curate better imagery without having to subject an animal to hours to make up for the benefit of your portfolio or photograph them without having them have extensive MU . You could have easily done this in AI ."

A third said, "Deeply upsetting. Even if your own intentions are to be respectful while expressing your creativity, and even if you took measures to make the elephant feel safe and comfortable, please think about the consequences of normalising the act of putting colour on animals."

"This is extremely irresponsible. It doesn't matter if the paint used was organic, safe or otherwise. Even if something is cultural and rooted in heritage, it doesn't make it okay and should be condemned—not celebrated or showcased as art," added a fourth. 

Following the social media outcry, Rajasthan forest department officials have announced that the matter will be investigated to determine if any wildlife protection laws were violated.