My name is Thomas Dambo. I build giant wooden trolls around the world and hide them in wilderness and forests.
By doing this, I hope to lure people away from concrete cities and computer screens, into the wild and reconnect them with the natural world. I build all my mythical creatures of repurposed wood to show the potential in this precious material, which is often discarded and becomes a threat to the natural world.
Since I was a child, I always loved to hear about different fairytale characters and folklore stories, and dream myself away into magical worlds filled with dragons and real giants. As a teenager, I started writing my own stories as a rapper, putting out records, touring and creating a universe, where I could tell these stories. In my latest project, I combined all of the above. Recycling, Rapping, Nature, and Sculptures.
The wood art project is called “The 7 Trolls and The Magical Tower.” It’s a fairytale, told through sculptures and words, hidden in a forest, all made of recycled materials. I know it sounds a bit confusing, but watch the video and it will all make sense.
Here are a couple of facts about my unique art:
- The height of the 7 trolls ranges from 7 to 18 meters (23 to 59 feet). The tower is 17 meters (56 feet).
- It took me and my crew of 15 people around 25 weeks to build.
- The wood is mainly old shelves from a supermarket, pallets, and branches from fallen trees.
- It is located in a Belgian forest.
