Statue Melania: Melania Trump's carved wooden statue unveiled in her hometown of Slovenia with mixed reviews

The first lady, Melania Trump, is back in her hometown of Sevnica, Slovenia – as a life-size wooden statue, hand carved, emerging from a tree stump. A new statue in the image of the first lady was erected this week.

The statue was unveiled Friday on the outskirts of the hometown of the first lady. She represents Mrs. Trump emerging from a living linden trunk, wearing the same pale blue coat she wore at the inauguration of Donald Trump, waving with her left hand.

The Berlin-based American artist Brad Downey commissioned the local craftsman Ales "Maxi" Zupevc to carve the statue with the help of a chain saw. He accompanies the Downey exhibition in a gallery in the capital, Ljubljana, exploring Melania's heritage.

"Maxi and Melania are both born the same year in the same hospital, but their lives have taken dramatically different directions," reads the documentary about the project.

The artist has received positive comments on Instagram, but local residents have mixed opinions about the completed project. "The sculptor worked a long time on it," a resident told Reuters. "And she does not look as beautiful as she normally is."

BBC News reported that others called it "a shame" and said it sounded like "Smurfette".

Another resident said he admired the height of the statue.

"You know what makes her look like Melania? Look at how high she climbed to the top, just like Melania, who reached the top of America," the resident told Reuters.