Photographer who painted elephant pink before it later died claims people are missing the point

The photographer who was criticised by numerous animal rights activists for painting a late elephant pink for a shoot in India has explained that there were 'no negative reactions' from locals, despite backlash online.

Months ago, Julia Buruleva staged a photoshoot in the city of Jaipur which involved a model and an elephant, both of which were doused in bright pink paint for the purpose of art.

The Russian snapper is now being made to defend herself, particularly for covering the 65-year-old animal head to toe, as she has addressed the criticism around her methods by claiming that some are 'sharing false information'.

She took the pictures at an abandoned Hindu temple, after finding a model who was 'willing to be half-naked and painted pink', and documented the preparation process on her Instagram.

Despite her claims though, the elephant she painted has passed away since the shoot.

Writing in the caption of her social media post which featured footage from the photoshoot, Buruleva said: "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."

Speaking to LADbible, the photographer revealed: "This shoot is part of my ongoing project Art Expedition, where I spend extended time in different places and create work based on my experience there.

"I stayed in Jaipur for several weeks, and the idea came directly from what I observed - elephants are a very visible cultural symbol in Rajasthan, and Jaipur itself is known as the Pink City, which is why I built the whole series around that colour."

Buruleva added that her work is 'more like a visual metaphor of the place', with that being her approach to work.

Opening up more on her elephant, she said that the animal welfare worries were valid but added: "A lot of the reactions are based on assumptions rather than what actually happened.

"I worked with an experienced owner whose elephant was clearly well taken care of. The paints were natural and safe, and the shoot was short and carefully planned around the animal’s routine."

She claimed: "The elephant showed no signs of stress during the process. I love animals, and I would never do something that could harm them."

Buruleva also addressed the animal's death, saying: "The rumours (claiming) that the elephant passed away because of the shoot are simply not true - the shoot took place months earlier, and from what I’ve been told, the elephant passed away recently due to old age."

She said that it 'would be more productive' if people directed their anger at other animal-related issues, such as pollution, cows eating plastic, stray animals and the environment.

Apparently, locals didn't raise any issues around the photoshoot, with the Russian snapper explaining: "In fact, decorating elephants is something that exists within the local context."

It won't stop her from using animals in shoots in the future though, as she admitted that she includes them 'because sometimes they are real symbols of places and I reflect this'.

The Barcelona-based photographer added: "If I do, it would only be in a situation where I feel fully confident that the animal is safe and treated with care, as was the case here."