A foreign art photographer has come under intense criticism after images and videos of a pink-painted elephant used in a photoshoot in Jaipur went viral on social media, sparking accusations of animal exploitation.
Photographer Julia Buruleva is facing widespread backlash online after the visuals showed a model posing on top of the vividly painted elephant. The shoot reportedly took place at an abandoned temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha, a setting Buruleva described as “perfect” due to the deity’s elephant-headed form.
Buruleva, who also shared behind-the-scenes footage on Instagram, said the idea developed after she spent several weeks in Jaipur. She described elephants as an important cultural symbol of Rajasthan and explained her decision to feature one in 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 further said she undertook extensive preparation for the project, including scouting locations, securing permissions, and visiting several elephant facilities in search of cooperation.
In the shoot, the model partially unclothed and painted pink posed on the elephant, which was also coloured in the same shade. Buruleva maintained that the team used only organic colours and insisted that 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.
Backlash intensifies online
Despite her clarification, the images quickly spread across social media, drawing thousands of reactions. While some users praised the artistic concept, a large section strongly condemned the shoot, accusing it of animal cruelty and exploitation.
Critics argued that using a live animal for aesthetic purposes was unethical, with several suggesting the artist should have used AI instead.
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 normalises 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 online outrage, officials from the Rajasthan forest department said they would investigate the incident to determine whether any wildlife protection laws had been violated.
