DEEP INTO NATURE
Shaped by Fire and Time
Blue Lagoon Skincare’s longtime Art Director reflects on Iceland’s elemental beauty—and how it shaped his one-of-a-kind "Lava Porcelain Bowl".
For over 18 years, Igor Micevic has helped shape the visual language of Blue Lagoon Skincare—first as a graphic designer, and for the past six years as Art Director. With the "Lava Porcelain Bowl", his creative journey takes on a new dimension—melding Iceland’s elemental beauty with the intimacy of hand-thrown ceramic design. Crafted from volcanic lava sourced near the Blue Lagoon and fired in small batches, each bowl is a tactile memory of place: signed by the artist, crafted with care, and entirely one of a kind. In this conversation, Igor shares the story behind the collection and how Iceland’s raw yet refined contrasts continue to inspire his work.
You’ve been Blue Lagoon Skincare’s Art Director for over 18 years. Where did the inspiration for the Blue Lagoon Lava Porcelain Bowl come from?
When I first came to Iceland in 2007, it was love at first sight. The country’s pristine, magical vastness and otherworldly terrain were instantly seared into my consciousness. I discovered a world both dazzling and breathtaking—a land unlike anything I had ever seen. A place alive with harmony and contrast: black and white, fire and ice, endless nights and the midnight sun. I couldn’t get enough of this primordial simplicity. That initial trip made such a lasting impression that I ended up living in Iceland for two years, immersing myself in its landscapes, textures, and rhythms. Its influence still runs through everything I design.
Did you start collecting pieces of Iceland immediately?
Yes—some places became so special to me that I would return again and again. I always had the urge to take a tiny piece of those places as a memento—something to remind me of that enchanting moment in time. I was fascinated by the odd-looking rocks, perfectly oval pebbles, black volcanic sand, even shiny obsidian. I would examine them as if flipping through a photo album—each one transporting me back in time and space.
Blue Lagoon Skincare Art Director Igor Micevic at his studio.
Each bowl is numbered and signed by the artist.
"The colours represent the Lagoon’s core elements," says Micevic.
Was there one moment or object that stood out?
A unique glass cylinder holds lava sand from my very first visit to the Blue Lagoon. That experience was particularly memorable, and the black sand now decorates the shelf above my desk. It brings that day back to life every time I look at it.
How did that translate into designing a functional object like a bowl?
At a certain point, I began to wonder: What if I could transform these material memories into objects for daily life? Something practical, but also emotionally resonant. While working on my porcelain collection, the idea came to me—I could combine sand with glaze and clay, embed lava into porcelain, and create a vessel for enjoying coffee amid the multisensory experience of the Blue Lagoon: the warmth of the healing waters, the smell of sulphur, the vision of steam wafting through the air.
So this bowl carries more than just design—it carries memory.
Exactly. It could be a breakfast bowl that takes me to the Westfjords, to the view from a little red house overlooking the sea. The stones, pebbles, and sand I’ve collected over the years are the genesis of this project—both its inspiration and its literal source material. The contrast between the rough, dark textures and the delicate whiteness of porcelain is something I find uniquely beautiful.
Tell us more about the Porcelain Memories collection and its connection to Blue Lagoon.
This project is deeply rooted in place and memory. In the series dedicated to Blue Lagoon Iceland, the defining elements—lava, minerals, silica—transmute into designed objects. Recollections and texture become one. The colours in the collection represent the Lagoon’s core elements: water, silica, and lava. Their interplay—the contrasts, the harmonies, the textures—forms the visual language of the work.
What inspires you most about Iceland?
Icelandic nature is so incredibly relentless and intense. It can be unpredictable—and even dangerous—yet it is so wonderfully beautiful. The Icelandic people are known for their light-heartedness and sense of humour. I find these contrasts inspiring. Icelandic nature is ever-changing and we have learned to adapt to it. There is much it can teach us about resilience, life and being human.
The pieces appear minimalist at first glance. Is that intentional?
Yes. The simplicity of some designs can be deceiving. Beneath that surface lies a richness of embedded texture—traces of the very elements that inspired them. Fragments of the Blue Lagoon, immortalised in porcelain.
