NW Trolls
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Mama Mimi, built by Thomas Dambo lives in Rendezvous Park in Wilson, Wyo. Dambo's trolls exist across the globe. Six trolls are coming to the Pacific Northwest and include locations in Oregon and Washington.
Courtesy of Thomas Dambo
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A wooden foot that will be inserted on the Nordic Northwest troll sculpture by Thomas Dambo in Southwest Portland on August 8, 2023. A combination of Dambo's artist team and Portland volunteers made the troll sculpture from scratch using recycled wood, nails and metal.
Caden Perry / OPB
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Paul Tuomi helps the volunteer team finish the roof on the new troll sculpture in Southwest Portland on August 8, 2023. The sculpture is one of five making their debut in the Pacific Northwest, and the only one in Oregon.
Caden Perry / OPB
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A volunteer team at Nordic Northwest in Southwest Portland constructs the "stua," Norwegian for miniature house. The project has three teams focused on house construction, troll assembly and material preparation.
Caden Perry / OPB
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A sign on a tree telling visitors about roaming "trolls" in the Southwest Portland forests while a large troll sculpture is assembled on August 8, 2023. The troll sculpture is being assembled with a miniature house structure. The troll will be interacting with the house and opening up the roof.
Caden Perry / OPB
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William Laufs measures final pieces for the troll's foot. Laufs has worked for Dambo for three years and started as an intern living in Dambo's workshop. "The trickiest part of this sculpture is working out how the limbs are interlocking and sticking," Laufs says.
Caden Perry / OPB
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The giant troll sculpture peering into the miniature house. "The troll is a curious one and he smells either pies or cakes coming from the house," says Thurman Miller, a volunteer for Nordic Northwest.
Caden Perry / OPB
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Erik Brakstad, left, Thurman Miller, center, and Paul Tuomi discuss scheduling assembly stages. The troll sculpture is planned to be unveiled on Friday, August 10, 2023. Brakstad, Miller, and Tuomi are all volunteers who saw opportunities to bring their skills and appreciation for Nordic culture into one project.
Caden Perry / OPB
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Marc Jaso and Christine Beaulieu use recycled pallets to add "skin" to the giant troll art piece in Southwest Portland on August 8, 2023. All of the wood and pallets used to create the troll were donated by Reclaim Northwest.
Caden Perry / OPB
