Russian photographer Julia Buruleva, 47, sparked major controversy after painting a real elephant bright pink for her photoshoot. Buruleva had travelled to Jaipur for an art expedition and shared behind-the-scenes details of the shoot on Instagram. She described elephants as a prominent cultural symbol of Rajasthan and said she wanted to incorporate one into her work. She also claimed that only organic colours were used and insisted that the animal was not harmed during the shoot.
Celebs Slam Julia Buruleva For Pink Elephant Photoshoot
However, the photoshoot quickly drew criticism online, with many users objecting to the use of a live animal for artistic purposes and condemning it as animal abuse. Several celebrities also lashed out at her, calling her an "unkind soul," while some even speculated that the elephant might have been harmed, citing the sensitivity of elephant skin.
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Celebrities React
TV actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee wrote, "And such an unkind soul. Simply a sadist could do this to abuse an animal. Also as per reports the elephant is no more. God knows what is wrong with these lot."
Actress Aksha Pardasany, who works in Telugu films, wrote, "All this is intentional. Your rage and anger is giving her the comments and views that she wanted to achieve out of all this. People like her are thick skinned. Just unfollow, leave her to her ART. One day life will paint her with some beautiful and crazy colors."
She added, "Shame on you and shame on your ART."
Actor Shray Rai Tiwari wrote, "Hey Julia, I love that you loved our city to showcase your art. Next time please don’t paint the elephant. Colours being organic or what not.. Much love from Jaipur."
Film Director Shai 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."
Karan Kapoor, also a director said, "Strange how the elephant has to suffer so the photos can look beautiful. Should’ve just used AI and saved the poor animal the stress."
Photographer Adresses Backlash
Addressing the criticism, she told HT.com that the paint used was safe, non-toxic, and washable and that the session was brief. She added that she understands and shares the view that animals should always be kept in good conditions and never subjected to violence. At the same time, she said she believes it is important to find a healthy balance that allows humans to connect with nature and living beings in a respectful and mindful way.
'AI Can't Replace The Authenticity Of Real-Life Connection'
She also shared that her artistic practice is rooted in interacting with the environment and its living forms, creating work in harmony with nature rather than relying purely on digital methods. She said that while AI and digital tools can replicate images, they cannot replace the authenticity of real-life connections, which lie at the heart of her work. She emphasised that her intention was always to engage respectfully and ethically, with care for both the culture and the living beings that make each project unique.
