Danish artist building wooden troll sculpture at Germfask campground

GERMFASK, Mich. (WLUC) - Thomas Dambo is a sculpture artist from Copenhagen, Denmark, best known for his troll sculptures.

Dambo was invited to create a new sculpture by the owners of Northland Outfitters at their campground in Germfask.

Dambo said once he’s finished with the wooded troll named Benny the Beard Fisher, it will be his 117th wooden troll. He said next week, a spot in the campground will be occupied by the 14-foot wooden sculpture.

“I knew that it was going to be here on the river because this is where we could get the permit to build,” said Dambo. “Then, I was sitting here on the riverbank and thinking what I would do if I was a troll sitting on the riverbank. Then, I was like, I would be fishing.”

Dambo said all of the wood he is using comes from a U.P.-based flooring company and is recycled. He said he enjoys finding the opportunity in what other people throw out.

“But if we understand the meaning of one man’s trash is another man’s treasure then we understand that trash is a treasure,” said Dambo. “I believe trash is wealth, trash is an opportunity the world is not drowning in the trash we just don’t have the objective set right, the world is filled with opportunity.”

As a child, Dambo expressed how he was always fascinated by stories and songs about trolls and he also loved to build things out of wood, he said that’s exactly where his inspiration came from.

“It’s all the things that I’ve learned and all the things that I love to do and now I kind of managed to put them all into one big cauldron and then pop out a troll and I love the recipe and the taste of it,” said Dambo.

Dambo said he will be headed to Colorado to build his 118th art piece next.