We were asked to design the packaging for a limited series of extra virgin olive oil. Its Greek provenance determined our design approach as it relates to a particularly rich and complex set of references, both natural and cultural. 

The brand’s name, “Olive Art”, encapsulates the mythic dimension of the significance of olive oil, its high luxury value and status as a precious commodity. We followed on this cue.

We designed the container as the modern reinterpretation of ancient ceramic pottery in order to revive the spirit of history that permeates the life of olive-oil making in this part of the Mediterranean. We studied decorations on ancient amphorae of the black-figure and red-figure rhythm and found our inspiration in olive harvesting scenes of great elegance and power of suggestion. 

We worked on the image of the olive wreath as the one that best captures and conveys the whole story of cultivating and selling olive oil across seas and continents. This wreath gently runs like a wave around the body of the container. It encourages the exploration of the packaging. To pick, lift and study the object that we made. To appreciate and chose it for the stories that it holds and the stories that can still unfold around a table where this oil stands, is still today shared and enjoyed. 

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