Photos: Danish recycling artist turns wooden trash into giant mythical trolls

The artist hides these trolls in forests and parks to startle and delight unsuspecting visitors. These wooden scrap sculptures have been exhibited in over 20 countries and various US states.

He mostly makes these trolls at his studio based in Copenhagen. You may be wondering why Dambo decided to make trolls. Since no one has ever seen a real troll, Dambo can let his imagination run wild and create enormous, eerie sculptures. He explained to USA Today that animals are challenging to build as they must look realistic.

Trolls are important figures in Scandinavian cultures. In his childhood, Dambo used to buy troll figurines. His mother narrated stories about trolls, such as one putting a large stone in the garden or pulling on riders' clothes while they were biking up hills. Dambo's interest in building things began at a young age. Reportedly, when his father built him a fort from scrap wood as a preteen, Dambo's reaction was to want to build his own.

Today, Dambo is recognized as one of the world's leading sculpture makers. "I spend my life showing the world that beautiful things can be made out of trash. I give new life to discarded materials by turning them into large-scale artworks," the artist's website mentions. 

In June, he finished his most ambitious troll installation in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, featuring five trolls and other giant sculptures. His crew and dozens of volunteers helped him build these sculptures – one of which stands 40 feet tall. This initiative aims to draw visitors to this small town with the help of the giant trolls. He was lurking deep in the woods of Detroit Lakes; Alexa, the troll, cooks with a large wooden spoon and recipe book. It also includes a playful troll, Ronny Funny Face, who delights in surprising unsuspecting hikers with exaggerated facial expressions, including a particularly comical tongue-out gesture.

In a previous project, Dambo installed trolls in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, in 2021. Interestingly, the trolls of Maine, known as the Guardians of the Seeds, are dedicated to preserving the state's native tree species. This significantly increased the number of visitors to the destination. According to reports, visitors rose from 100,000 in 2019 to 340,000 by 2024. Likewise, Dambo's creation has increased tourism in various places, including Kentucky and Illinois.

Apart from the giant troll, he has made birdhouses and various wall exhibitions. His goal for 2024 is to create more than 20 sculptures — some of which have been installed in Austin (Texas), South County (Rhode Island), and Cheekwood Gardens in Nashville, to name a few. He is about to start the work on four hidden sculptures for Jutland, Denmark.   

While most of Dambo's iconic trolls are firmly rooted in their permanent locations, some of these whimsical creatures are on temporary exhibitions to spread their message. For instance, the "Save the Humans" trolls recently graced the grounds of the Philadelphia Zoo, where they raised awareness about the urgent need to protect our planet.