A wooden statue of Melania Trump, sculpted by Aleš "Maxi" Župevc, was installed in her hometown of Sevnica, Slovenia in 2019.

In its original wooden form, the dress and arms of the statue are painted powder blue, to reflect her outfit at the inauguration of Donald Trump.

Brad Downey commissioned Aleš Župevc, also known as "Maxi," to create the statue as part of an exposition in Ljubljana.

[5] Župevc, an amateur woodworker employed as a pipelayer,[8] carved the statue out of a poplar tree[4] using a chainsaw.

[9] Following the statue's unveiling, it was met with derision; an ITV report quoted local residents calling it "a disgrace" and comparing it to Smurfette.