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Meet the Benevolent Trolls of Danish Artist Thomas Dambo

Danish artist Thomas Dambo has a unique talent – he makes colossal sculptures out of trash. He specializes in troll sculptures that range in height from 16 to 50 feet (4.8-15 m). These trolls are mythical Scandinavian monsters that are generally depicted as large, dumb, brutish creatures in folklore. But Dambo’s trolls are adorable, and children can’t have enough of them.
Wooden Trolls, kid and troll in forest
Image credit: Thomas Dambo
Wooden Trolls, funny, long hands
Image credit: Thomas Dambo
Wooden Trolls, sitting
Image credit: Thomas Dambo
Wooden Trolls, bridge
Image credit: Thomas Dambo
Wooden Trolls, bridge
Image credit: Thomas Dambo
Wooden Trolls, payground
Image credit: Thomas Dambo
Dambo’s trolls are installed on mountains, in forests, and parks around the world. Sometimes they are tucked away behind trees; at other times, they hide in forests, underneath bridges, or up on hillsides.
Wooden Trolls, bridge
Image credit: Thomas Dambo
Wooden Trolls, lady troll
Image credit: Thomas Dambo
People are encouraged to find them by using a treasure map provided on Dambo’s website or clues found in poems near each sculpture.
Wooden Trolls, forest
Image credit: Thomas Dambo
Wooden Trolls, sitting
Image credit: Thomas Dambo
Interestingly, Dambo’s sculptures are usually a group effort. He asks local volunteers for help, and together they assemble the sculptures. Each folklore-inspired sculpture is brought to life from wood pallets, old fences, twigs, debris, and even sheds.
Wooden Trolls, construction
Image credit: Thomas Dambo
Wooden Trolls, recycled wood
Image credit: Thomas Dambo
Wooden Trolls, children playing
Image credit: Thomas Dambo
Wooden Trolls, giant
Image credit: Thomas Dambo
The artist says the purpose of his works is to make his art interactive, more community-driven, and, most importantly, to lure humans into nature. 
Wooden Trolls, house
Image credit: Thomas Dambo
Each of Dambo’s giants has a name – from “Little Tilde,” who hides behind a big tree to “Oscar Under the Bridge,” who holds onto the bridge’s rail to “Thomas on the Mountain,” who sits on a hiking trail stacking rocks, and “Teddy Friendly,” who helps people across a tiny stream with his long extended arms.
Wooden Trolls, fat
Image credit: Thomas Dambo
Wooden Trolls, rocks
Image credit: Thomas Dambo
Dambo hopes to spread the message of reusing and recycling through his artworks. Watch this video to see how Dambo's giant trolls came to life.
 
Check out more works of the artist on his Instagram page.
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