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AFP
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The sculpture was carved out of a tree trunk with a chainsaw
A tongue-in-cheek statue of US First Lady Melania Trump has appeared on the outskirts of her Slovenian hometown.US artist Brad Downey hired a local chainsaw artisan, Ales Zupevc, to carve the likeness out of a tree trunk outside the town of Sevnica.The result was a wooden rendering of Mrs Trump dressed in a blue coat with a club-like hand gesturing to 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.The artist has an exhibition in Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana until late August. The gallery reportedly suggested the statue “might only be a slapstick prank” in a leaflet.Downey’s previous works include Wisdom Testicles and Cactus Hand.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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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.”