Connecting Communities across the Triangle
Now serving more than 244,000 Neighbors in the heart of North Carolina
"BRINGING THE BEST OF NORTH CAROLINA TO YOUR FRONT DOOR"
LET'S ALL GO TROLLING
By Lee Romano Sequeira of Off the Vine PR
FIVE LARGE TROLLS ARE CURRENTLY LOCATED OUTDOORS THROUGHOUT DORETHEA DIX PARK IN RALEIGH AND HAVE PROVEN TO BE ONE OF THE PARK’S MOST FAMOUS AND SOUGHT AFTER EXHIBITS.
These five trolls were the work of Danish artist Thomas Dambo and exemplify his mission of celebrating the art, nature, storytelling, and recycling through his efforts.
​
Born in Odense, Denmark, Thomas Dambo pursued a master’s degree in Interaction Design at the Kolding School of Design (southern Denmark) where he began experimenting with building large-scale installations using reclaimed materials.
Thomas on top of a mountain of gold
Happy City Birds
In 2010, his Happy City Birds project placed over 250 colorful birdhouses across Denmark to promote biodiversity and in 2013, he created Remake Utopia —a pop-up village in central Copenhagen built entirely from recycled materials, followed by
Remake Utopia
Remake Christmas, the world’s first waste-based Christmas market.
Happy City Birds
A lifelong advocate for upcycling and public engagement, Thomas Dambo’s projects continually challenge the boundaries between art, adventure, and activism. His work has transformed landscapes and communities, drawing global audiences into a playful, urgent conversation about waste, wonder, and our relationship with the planet.
​
​Thomas Dambo’s early practice laid the foundations for his unique artistic vision.
Since 2014, he has become internationally known for his monumental wooden trolls—sculptures made entirely from recycled wood, often hidden in forests or public spaces. His works span multiple continents, with solo exhibitions and public commissions across North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
In 2016, he created The Six Forgotten Giants, a series of giant trolls placed in natural areas around Copenhagen’s suburbs. The project became a viral success, viewed by hundreds of millions online, and brought international recognition to his practice.
In 2018, he launched Troll Hunt at the Morton Arboretum in Illinois, USA. The six large-scale sculptures hidden
The Six Forgotten Giants
Troll Hunt
in the landscape broke attendance records with over 1.24 million visitors in its first year.
Since that time, some of his major and better known projects have included:
- Future Forest, a large forest of plastic waste constructed with over a thousand volunteers in Mexico City.
- Den Kæmpestore Troldefolkefest, a nationwide Danish troll festival created during COVID-19,
In 2021, Thomas Dambo acquired a 22-hectare farm outside of Copenhagen, transforming it into a living and working hub with private residences, studios, offices, and a large-scale workshop for his team and collaborators.
In 2022 Thomas created the award winning Giants of Mandurah, a major exhibition showcasing his trolls across Western Australia’s coastal landscape.
Giants of Mandurah
Tomas Dambo in his studio with several of his large-scale wooden troll sculptures
In 2023, Dambo completed Way of the Bird King, a monumental art and storytelling project across six U.S. states, featuring ten sculptures and a corresponding fairytale book.
​
That same year, he unveiled his 100th troll, Månemor , located in a secret place only discoverable through a global digital treasure hunt via his interactive platform Trollmap.
Before embracing sculpture full-time, Thomas Dambo played a pivotal role in Denmark’s hip-hop underground as part of the group Fler Farver, releasing nine albums and developing a reputation for theatrical live shows, DIY stage sets, and guerrilla marketing.
Thomas Dambo lives and works near Copenhagen, Denmark
Learn more about Thomas Dambo and his work here: https://www.thomasdambo.com/
Learn more about his Trolls at Dix {Park here: https://dorotheadixpark.org/trolls
Find all of Thomas Dambo trolls worldwide at Trollmap.com
