Photography courtesy of Natalya DeSena.
STORYTELLING + PHOTOGRAPHING + FILMING + CREATIVE DIRECTING
Leia Vita Marasovich is a first-generation Slovenian-Croatian storyteller, creative strategist, and artist. For over a decade, she has woven human-centered narratives that explore our innate connection to land, water, food, culture, health, and identity. Working across photography, film, writing, and creative strategy, Leia serves as a creative architect, designing stories that transport, disrupt, and expand collective perspectives.
Her current work with Jaguar Siembra and JellyShot weaves together regenerative approaches, developmental thinking, traditional ecological knowledge, and intercultural collaboration, amplifying voices and wisdom that point toward a more ancestral and ecological future.
A poem I wrote for this Farm Rio campaign video, created by Guigo Foggiatto. This video sums me up and what I stand for :)
Leia's photography has been published in over 15 books and international magazines, and her short film, “Refugee’s Reunion with the Soil” won Best Video for the 2022 NonProfit Awards. She is proud to have been the water cinematography for a docu episode on Moroccan's most accomplished female surfer, signaling a new era for female Arab surfers, which was broadcast on Moroccan television station, TV 2M.
Through her artistic lens, she skillfully brings essential topics such as food sovereignty, human rights, and soil health to the forefront of global conversations. Whether guiding organizations, shaping brand narratives, or creating visual worlds, her work is devoted to reconnecting people with the beauty of nature and the sacredness woven through our shared human experience.
Sun Sign: Sun: Aquarius // Moon: Sagittarius // Rising: Gemini
Heritage: Croatian + Slovenian
Currently Based: between Southern California and La Sierra Nevada, Colombia
Education: Soka University of America, Bachelor of Liberal Arts, focus in Environmental Studies
Certifications: Sustainability and Organic Aids Certificate + Permaculture for International Development + Ecovillage Design Educator + 200 Hr Yoga Certification + Carol Sanford Institute on Living Systems Thinking
Also: Teaches Yoga (see below)
Past-life: Rapper ;)
Spent Most My Life: Competitive Swimming
Best Advice Ever Given: "Buy a camera and move to Ecuador"
Best Therapy: Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, Surfing, Yoga, Baths, & Painting
CLIENTS & COLLABORATIONS
Elle Macpherson, Rich Roll, Julie Piatt, Zach Bush MD, Xiuhtezcatl, Tasya Van Ree
Billabong, FARM Rio, Farmer’s Footprint, Artisan Tropic, Herbs, Etc., Trace Minerals, Jellyshot, Jaguar Siembra, Onda Wellness + more
PUBLICATIONS
This Cheese Is Nuts! Cookbook by Julie Piatt - all photography + front cover
The Plantpower Way: Italia Cookbook by Julie Piatt + Rich Roll - 90% of photography
Voicing Change: Volume 1 + 2 by Rich Roll - photography
Surf Like A Girl by Carolina Amell - featured as surfer, photographer, and yogini
Blue Surfside Style Magazine, Japan - photography
Thermie Living Magazine, Australia - photography
Malibu Magazine, California - photography
Growers and Co, Canada - photography
EXHIBITS
SOIL: The World At Our Feet, Somerset House, UK
Water + Women, Pacific Coast Brewery, Oceanside, CA
The Roots Awaken, Life Food Organic, Santa Monica, CA
AWARDS
2022 NonProfit Awards, Best Video for “Refugee’s Reunion with the Soil”
