North Carolina has recently been invaded by a collection of giant wooden trolls, crafted by the talented Danish artist Thomas Dambo. These impressive structures have found new homes in Asheville, High Point, Charlotte, and Raleigh, captivating visitors with their whimsical charm.
In Asheville, the North Carolina Arboretum hosts a dozen of these unique creations as part of the traveling exhibit, “Trolls: A Field Study,” which is set to open on Saturday, Nov. 15, and will be available for viewing until Tuesday, Feb. 17. Unlike Asheville’s temporary exhibit, other North Carolina cities now have permanent troll residents.
These extraordinary sculptures, crafted from a mix of fallen branches, wooden pallets, and twigs, arrived in Asheville earlier this week. Standing up to nine feet tall, the trolls are designed to seamlessly blend into their natural surroundings.
Placed strategically around the Arboretum, some trolls are easy to spot in the gardens, while others are hidden within the expansive woods, making them a delightful challenge to find. The installation process involved using forklifts and all-terrain vehicles, as explained by Mac Franklin, the Arboretum’s Director of Horticulture.
“The overarching theme is that the trolls are supposed to look as though they are just wandering through a space,” said Franklin. “So it can’t be too contrived.”
These “baby trolls” in Asheville are smaller compared to their counterparts in Raleigh’s Dix Park, where some reach heights of ten feet. Notably, “Mother Strong Tail” features a 645-foot tail made from reused bourbon barrels. Each troll possesses its own distinctive flair and character.
The artist, Dambo, envisions the “field study” exhibit in Asheville as a means to inspire people to view themselves from a fresh perspective. “I hope that people will find it fun,” he said. “Fun to see yourself through a lens of something else. We need to see ourselves through others to really understand who we are, right?”
Among the trolls, one holds a massive wooden net, seemingly poised to capture humans, another is depicted with a pencil and notepad, and a third sports a dumpster as a hat with a bewildered expression.
Dambo is on a quest to create 1,000 trolls, having completed around 150 so far, amassing a significant following. His journey began a decade ago when he transitioned from hip-hop to environmental art. “And at that time, I was rapping about being a dumpster diver,” he said. “And then I thought that I should make, like, a really big sculpture.”
Initially attempting animal sculptures, Dambo found more creative freedom with trolls. “You can’t just make a spider with five legs, but you can make a troll with a 645-foot-long tail, and it just seems like it’s supposed to be like that,” he explained.
Despite his initial surprise at their popularity, Dambo is thrilled by the phenomenon his troll sculptures have become. “I do my best and I think they look really awesome, and me and my team have gotten better and better at building them through the years,” he shared.
These trolls have drawn countless visitors, eager to witness Dambo’s creations. In Asheville, anticipation has been building for the exhibit, with tickets purchased by people from as far as Tahiti and Zimbabwe.
Drake Fowler, the Arboretum’s executive director, noted the international excitement. “There’s Facebook groups around these trolls, and there’s a couple of people that are like ‘I’m going to be there on the 15th and I want to be the first people to see,’” he said.
For those embarking on a troll-hunting adventure in North Carolina, Dambo offers his well wishes for a magical experience, hoping visitors discover new aspects of the state’s natural beauty.
