Just over a year ago, the American artist Brad Downey erected a wooden sculpture of the USA's first lady outside Sevnica in Slovenia.

The city where Melania Trump grew up in what was then Yugoslavia before moving to Ljubljana as a teenager.

The statue was carved with a chainsaw by the local plumber and amateur artist Aleš “Maxi” Župevc.

Župevc was born in the same hospital as Melania Trump in the same month, April 1970.

The work provoked a lot of reactions and was mocked in some places for resembling a scarecrow.

On July 4 this year, the wooden statue was set on fire by an unknown perpetrator.

Critical comment

Now Brad Downey is making another attempt.

Two weeks ago, a new statue was unveiled.

This time in bronze.

Downey says he has received a lot of criticism and threats for his project from, mostly from Trump critics.

- But the statue should be seen as a critical commentary on the US immigration policy that benefits some and rejects others, he says in an interview with The Guardian and refers to the fact that Melania Trump herself immigrated to the US.

Melania Trump herself has not commented on the statue.