The bizarre Melania Trump statue dividing the first lady's hometown

Melania Trump is making headlines once again, and this time it might be for an even stranger reason than the ‘fake Melania’ rumours.

The first lady’s hometown of Sevnica has unveiled a new tribute to its most famous resident, and what it lacks in likeness, it makes up for in sheer size.

Melania is being commemorated with an enormous statue, which towers at over nine-feet tall and is virtually unrecognisable as a portrait of the president’s wife.

Commissioned by US conceptual artist Brad Downey, the massive statue was designed and made by a local artist known as ‘Maxi’, or Aleš Župevc.

It was constructed from a whole tree, and carved into shape using chainsaws, explaining the rough-hewn finish of the final product.

The blue of the statue is intended to be a recreation of the famous blue dress and glove combination Melania wore to President Trump’s inauguration in early 2017.

Some artistic licence has been taken with the shoes which on the monument are depicted as a kind of blue bootie, rather than the elegant stiletto worn by the original.

The artist himself told ABC news that the work wasn’t a parody, but an attempt to commemorate and get the attention of the former local girl who became the wife of the most powerful man in the world.

“She might come and see the thing. She might like it," he said.

Divided impressions

Its off-beat look has divided residents and online commentators alike, some nicknaming the piece a ‘scarecrow’ for its very vague interpretation of the human form.

“Why did he have to make her look like an evil stepmother of Pinocchio?" one pensioner for the tiny town asked ABC News. "What a disgrace!"

The statue’s commissioner Downey insisted to the AFP he found the work ‘absolutely beautiful’, but did concede it was motivated by a political statement regarding Trump’s policies on immigration when speaking to ABC news.

Melania fever

Melania is believed to be widely loved in her tiny hometown of only 5,000 inhabitants.

A thriving industry has sprung up around the town’s claim to her formative years, and commemorative products from honey to slippers, and tours showcasing the main sites of her childhood are readily available.

Not all residents are proud of their famous alumna, however.

A local student told the AFP that the Trumps inspire a mix of derision and despair among her circle, and she thinks the statue should be considered a ‘parody’.

“We in Sevnica can only laugh and, at the same time, hold our heads in our hands over their catastrophic reputation,” she said.

Melania has been the subject of much speculation since Donald Trump took on the presidency in 2017.

Recent rumours include suspicions that the couple’s marriage may be a carefully constructed ‘sham’, and that Melania is often impersonated by a body double.

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