Melania Trump Receives Wooden Statue in Her Likeness in Slovenia — and Locals Have Mixed Reviews
First Lady Melania Trump was honored in her home country of Slovenia with a statue in the city of Sevnica this week — and reviews of the statue are mixed.
The hand-carved wooden statue, which was unveiled on Friday in the First Lady’s hometown, shows Mrs. Trump adorned in the powder blue suit by Ralph Lauren Collection she wore at her husband Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration, posing as she waves her hand.
The statue was commissioned by Berlin-based American artist Brad Downey and created by Ales “Maxi” Zupevc, a local Slovenian artist, who used a chainsaw to carve out the First Lady’s likeness.
Local residents gave their opinion on the Melania Trump statue, which ranged from admiration to disdain.
“The sculptor worked a long time on this,” one resident told Reuters. “And she does not look as beautiful as she normally is.”
Others called the statue a “disgrace,” with one local claiming it looked like a “Smurfette,” according to BBC News.
Many also likened the statue to a scarecrow to which the sculptor told AFP, “I can understand why people might think that this falls short as a description of her physical appearance.”
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Another Sevnica resident was more complimentary of the statue, admiring the height of the wooden sculpture as a metaphor for her rise to fame from a small town Slovenian girl to the first lady of the United States.
“You know what makes her resemble Melania? Look at how high she climbed to the top, just like Melania, who rose to the top of America,” the resident said, according to Reuters.
The statue will be accompanied by an exhibition in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, where Mrs. Trump’s heritage will be featured and explored.
