A statue of First Lady Melania Trump has been unveiled in her hometown on the outskirts of Sevnica in Slovenia.
The folksy wooden statue was carved from a tree and features the First Lady waving in the classic blue ensemble that she wore at the inauguration.
American conceptual artist Brad Downey dreamed up the statue and commissioned local artisan Ales Zupevc to create his vision with a chainsaw in the place that appears to take great pride in being Mrs. Trump’s hometown.
https://twitter.com/AmyES52/status/1147284989504921600?s=20
“Entrepreneurial locals have been cashing in on the influx, offering a bewildering array of Melania Trump-branded food and merchandise as well as a tour of the area taking in the key sites of her early years,” the Guardian reports.
Sculpture of Melania Trump in her Slovenian hometown. The life-sized statue depicts Trump in the blue outfit she wore to her husband's presidential inauguration in 2017 and shows her raising her left hand in a waving gesture. pic.twitter.com/myKRTh3FMK
— Jerry Saltz (@jerrysaltz) July 6, 2019
Katarina, a 66-year-old resident of the area told the Guardian, “Melania is a Slovenian hero, she made it to the top in the US.”
Meanwhile, the statue has been met with both criticism and praise — largely depending on the viewers political beliefs.
A statue of our First Lady, Melania Trump, appeared on the outskirts of her hometown of Sevnica, Slovenia. Apparently, a whole tourist scene regarding her has sprung up—heavy on the kitsch.
But this is positively ghoulish. It makes our “Scary Lucy” look sweet. pic.twitter.com/wH3Q2FlTq5
— Nate McMurray (@Nate_McMurray) July 6, 2019
The first public statue of Melania Trump in Slovenia will be officially unveiled on Friday. I'm sure she'll be pleased.
Photo via @Dnevnik_si pic.twitter.com/fnhO3IwtWM
— Bob Ramsak (@BobRamsak) July 4, 2019
The statue is believed to be the first one of the First Lady anywhere in the world.
