‘Scarecrow’ Melania Trump statue divides opinion in US first lady’s Slovenian hometown of Sevnica
- Carved from tree with a chainsaw, it depicts Melania waving her left hand, a pose she struck at husband Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration
- Artist Brad Downey says it is the first monument anywhere dedicated to the first lady
After Melania cake, Melania honey, and even Melania slippers, the Slovenian hometown of the US first lady will now boast a statue of its most famous daughter – albeit one that has faced decidedly mixed reviews.
The life-size statue on the outskirts of Sevnica was inaugurated on Friday and is the brainchild of 39-year-old American conceptual artist Brad Downey, who says it is the first monument anywhere dedicated to the wife of US President Donald Trump.
The sculpture was carved into a tree using a chainsaw and depicts Melania in a blue dress raising her left hand in a waving gesture, emulating a pose she struck at her husband’s 2017 inauguration.
Its somewhat naive style has led some critics on social media to brand it a “scarecrow”.
“I can understand why people might think that this falls short as a description of her physical appearance,” Downey said, but insisted that he found the end result “absolutely beautiful”.
