New Melania Trump statue in Slovenia gets mixed reviews

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AFP

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The sculpture was carved out of a tree trunk with a chainsaw

A statue of US First Lady Melania Trump has appeared on the outskirts of her Slovenian hometown of Sevnica.

US artist Brad Downey hired a local chainsaw artisan, Ales Zupevc, to carve the likeness out of a tree trunk.

The result was a wooden image of Mrs Trump dressed in a blue coat, overlooking the Sava river with a club-like hand gesturing towards the sky.

Some residents described it as “a disgrace”, a “Smurfette”, saying “it doesn’t look anything like Melania”.

Downey told Reuters news agency he wanted to “have a dialogue” with the US political situation.

Sevnica has become a tourist magnet ever since Donald Trump was elected US president in 2016, and Ms Trump – a famous former resident – became the first lady.

As visitors search for an insight into Mrs Trump’s early years, residents have brought out ranges of Melania-branded merchandise including slippers, cake, and Trump-like burgers with fly-away cheese “hair”.

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AFP

While for some, the new sculpture is a step too far, Katarina, 66, told AFP news agency it was a “good idea” to have the artwork, adding: “Melania is a Slovenian hero, she’s made it to the top in the US.”

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