A butter sculpture of Justin Trudeau and some pandas is taking the internet by storm

Works of art depicting prominent politicians are nothing new – but there can be few as delicious as this rendering of Justin Trudeau.

The Canadian PM is being sculpted out of butter for a new exhibition in Toronto – and as if that wasn’t enough to drive the internet crazy, the lactescent leader is holding a pair of cute panda cubs.

The as yet uncompleted artwork is being displayed at the Canadian Nation Exhibition (CNE) and will continue to be worked on by lead sculptor David Salazar and his team throughout the 18 days of the show.

Butter sculptures are nothing new to the CNE – the unusual artform is an annual tradition that has featured at the exhibition since the 1950s, using around 2,700 pounds of butter each year.

This year’s butter sculptures are honouring animals from in and around Toronto that have gone viral, but it’s the premier rather than the baby pandas he’s holding who has really caught the attention of visitors – and it’s proving a challenge to Salazar, fellow sculptor Olenka Kleban and the rest of the team.

“The hardest bit to sculpt is Justin Trudeau’s face in butter because it is not a material like clay where you have firm control of the shapes you create,” said Salazar.

“There is also a great amount of pressure to perform while the audience watches your every move and hesitation.”

He added: “Butter is not that easy because it melts in your hand while you apply it. But it is all part of the challenge of any material.

“What is tricky is being in a cold freezer during summer with people watching you from the outside.

“You can feel their eyes watching every move you make, this is the opposite experience from creating work in studio and presenting the finished sculpture to the public once completed.”

Other famous animals that feature in the exhibit include the capybaras who escaped from High Park Zoo and a monkey who was spotted strolling round a branch of Ikea in a fancy coat.

And if you’re wondering, what happens to all that butter once the exhibition is finished, organisers promise it will be “sustainably composted”.

If you want to see it for yourself, the the exhibition continues at Tornoto’s Exhibition Place until September 4.