Olav's enthusiasm for the ceramic process started during his education at the Design Academy Eindhoven. Particularly in the casting of clay, he found the opportunity to conduct his own form research and to produce on a small scale. His goal is to create authentic objects that are accessible to everyone. He carries out the entire process - from design to end product - in his own studio in Lith.

We live in a time where the computer is the new tool to create products. While this ceramic process is traditional, pure and labour-intensive. Despite the fact that Olav uses casting molds, the hand of the maker can still be seen due to the different finishes in each object. That makes every piece a unique one. By repeating and combining his objects, he always creates a new image. He calls these combinations ‘settings’.

Olav works on the cutting edge of art and design. This is further emphasized by these settings. For EXPO NO.2 – THE ONE WITH THE FLOWERS – An ode to floral culture we curated 2 'botanical' settings. This special work originates from a collaboration between Olav and Jacqueline Heidanus, who is specialized in pattern design. Together they searched for a way to give the shells a second skin, based on the material and the technique of casting in moulds. Because they work closely together from the start of the process, a series of scales has emerged in which the two disciplines are intertwined and reinforce each other.

A relief is created by manually editing the mold. Jacqueline is inspired by the plants and trees in her own garden. The bowls of the BOTANICALS series each have a unique glaze effect because the three sprayed colors never mix in the same way. They can be combined well with each other and are also beautiful in combination with the semi-bowls from the Olav Slingerland collection.