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Russian artist paints elephant pink for photoshoot in Jaipur, sparks outrage: ‘animals are not props’
The artist explained that the concept emerged after spending several weeks in Jaipur.
In the viral photos, the model can be seen painted pink and posing on the elephant, which had been coloured the same hue (Representational image/Pexels)
Russian artist Julia Buruleva has sparked outrage after videos and photos of her photoshoot featuring a pink-painted elephant in Jaipur surfaced on social media. The photoshoot was held at an abandoned temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha, a choice she described as “perfect”.
In a social media post, Buruleva 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.
“They’re often decorated for festivals and celebrations -locals paint them in all sorts of colors. I decided on one solid bright pink elephant, the most popular color in Rajasthan,” Buruleva added.
Buruleva also wrote that the ideation took extensive efforts, from scouting locations and securing permissions to visiting multiple elephant facilities in search of cooperation.
In the viral photos, the model can be seen painted pink and posing on the elephant, which had been coloured the same hue. However, Buruleva shared 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.
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The post triggered outrage, with an Instagram user commenting, “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.”
Another user wrote, “Would they let you do this in your own country? Do you see indians going around and doing whatever in your country in the name of art? While I am all for creative process, but this isn’t okay.”
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“This is not cool. Even as an artist you have responsibilities. You know how animals are subjected to this kind of abuse already in India during Holi. It’s an animal, not a prop. Be kinder,” a third user reacted.
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