India, March 31 -- Aphotoshoot in Jaipur has landed Russian photographer Julia Buruleva in controversy after she was criticised for painting an elephant bright pink for an art project. Julia had taken to Instagram last week to share the image, and added that the idea took shape after weeks of absorbing Jaipur's vibrant colours and imagery. Calling elephants a key symbol of Rajasthan that she "just couldn't pass by without including," she said she wanted to incorporate one into her work. "I decided on one solid bright pink elephant, the most popular colour in Rajasthan," she wrote. The photoshoot quickly drew backlash online, with many users objecting to the use of a live animal for artistic purposes. Some labelled it "animal abuse" and said it should not be glorified. "Using organic colours doesn't justify the fact that you had to subject an animal to being 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 of makeup," commented one user. Another called the act ethically and culturally inappropriate: "Creative freedom is not a free pass for irresponsible expression. This is just a very bad judgement call on your part. Whether intentional or not, content like this normalises using animals as decorative objects and encourages others to push similar lines for attention. On top of that, you mention Lord Ganesh.. clearly, you have misunderstood the culture." Yet another user wrote. "Should've just used AI and saved the poor animal the stress," wrote another user. Responding to the backlash, Julia told HT that no harm was caused to the animal, adding that the paint used was safe, non-toxic and washable, and that the session was brief. "I fully understand and share the perspective that animals should always be kept in good conditions and never subjected to violence. At the same time, I believe it is important to find a healthy balance that allows humans to connect with nature and living beings in a respectful and mindful way," she said. "My artistic practice is rooted in interacting with the environment and its living forms, creating work in harmony with nature rather than purely digital methods. While AI and digital tools can replicate images, they cannot replace the authenticity of real-life connection, which is the heart of my work. My intention is always to engage respectfully, ethically, and with care for both the culture and the life forms that make each project unique," she added....