I remember first being aware of Danish artist and activist Thomas Dambo when some of his giant troll figures were commissioned by and installed at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, just west of Chicago. My daughter and her family lived nearby at the time, and we spent many hours enjoying the beautiful grounds of the Arboretum. They moved away before the six trolls, part of the Troll Hunt exhibition, were completely installed throughout the woods and meadows,

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but we followed the stories about them and heard about the fun families had in searching them out.

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Dambo is based in Copenhagen, but since quitting his day job in 2011 to become an artist, he has created art in 20 countries across five continents, spending his life showing the world that beautiful things can be made out of trash. He uses reclaimed wood, scrap lumber, found objects and, yes, garbage to create his large-scale artworks. He has said he “hopes to inspire everybody to have fun and think of ‘trash’ as a valuable resource.” He also likes to work in and with local communities, often using teams of volunteers to help construct his most recognized works, his troll figures. There are now over 150 of these creatures across the globe, which you can find using his troll map. Examples in the United States stretch from Florida

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to Washington state,

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where a series of six trolls in the Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King exhibit may be found lurking throughout the Puget Sound region. I was delighted to learn that just over a year ago, one of Dambo’s creatures appeared in Southwest Portland, not more than a mile from where my daughter lives. Just two weeks ago, while in Portland for a reunion with several of my cousins, we went to see Ole Bolle in his natural environment.

Ole Bolle sits on the grounds of Nordic Northwest, a nonprofit organization founded in 1986 to support the Nordic language programs at Portland State University but which has since expanded to “be a home for all things Nordic in Oregon and Southwest Washington,” hosting festivals, cultural programming, lectures and performances year ’round. Its Nordia House, a beautiful contemporary structure of natural woods and light-filled spaces, houses a gift shop, art gallery and the Broder Söder restaurant, serving breakfast and lunch and boasting the largest selection of aquavit on the West Coast.

We parked in the Nordia House’s parking lot on a cool, gray, drizzly morning — just the kind of weather in which you might expect to come upon a troll in the woods. Surrounding the parking lot stood towering Douglas firs, their dark branches dripping moisture and adding to the somewhat gloomy atmosphere. We followed a sign directing us to the Troll Path, and then, up ahead beyond some small red cottages,  we had our first sighting. Drawing closer, we began to see just how large he was.  Ole Bolle stands some 19 feet tall; well, actually, he  crouches on his haunches, one enormous foot tucked under him  as he lifts up the roof of a small cottage, apparently curious (and perhaps a little hungry?) about what he might find inside.

He is cleverly designed and constructed, primarily of old shipping pallets and other reclaimed wood, built in August of 2023 over the course of about 10 days with 500 hours of volunteer labor and Dambo’s team of six. We delighted in noting the troll’s details: his toenails, the curl of his ears, his surprisingly expressive eyes.   As you stand to one side, he appears to be turning to look at you, but when you look up at him from inside the little house, his gaze seems focused right there . . . a bit of a Mona Lisa!

We enjoyed circling about Ole for a while, not minding the atmospheric drips of rain as we marveled at how such simple materials could coalesce into such a charming, lively work of art. He will hang out here for a few more years, but as with most of Dambo’s other creations, he will be deconstructed after three years or so. I’m going to be sure to visit him a few more times at least, especially since he resides conveniently so close to my daughter’s home.

If you get the chance, in your travels, to visit some of Dambo’s artworks, I would encourage you to do so. I think you will find, as I did, that their charm belies their trollish reputation.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor