Artist Spotlight: Uriel Moran
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
By R. Cardenas Colmenares
Uriel Moran first entered The City College of New York as an architecture student, but life had other plans for him. Now, he is a senior art student majoring in digital design at CCNY. A natural storyteller who has chosen animation as his medium, Moran uses color and surrealism to evoke feelings in his audience. In his short film, “No tan buenos días,” he shows us how migrants can feel when pursuing education in a country far from home. This powerful work granted Moran a spot in a prestigious summer program in Paris, where he will further develop his already extraordinary animation skills. In this interview, he tells us more about his journey as a Mexican American artist.
RCC: When did you decide to pursue a degree in digital art? Did you always know that’s what you wanted?
UM: Ever since I decided I wanted to tell stories, I knew that the best medium I had to do so was through art. This process was never linear, especially between my time in Mexico and my return to the United States. My educational path was often disrupted, sometimes skipping steps or moving ahead too quickly. However, one thing remained constant: My desire to express myself through painting and drawing.
Even during the application process for college and my early years studying architecture, I always had the idea of being connected to the art industry. That eventually led me to become self-taught and continue learning on my own until I finally made the decision to change my major at City College.
RCC: Can you tell me more about the journey that led you to CCNY?
UM: When I left university in the spring of 2022, it was because I had been accepted into VFS Vancouver Film School, a very important and prestigious school in Canada. After spending a few frustrating years where I felt lost both academically and personally, this opportunity meant a lot to me. So, I decided to leave university in order to work and save money to cover my expenses in Canada. However, life happened, and I had to let that opportunity go. I ended up immersing myself in the restaurant industry instead.
After a few years, though, I decided it was time to continue my education and return to CCNY, an environment I was already familiar with, but this time to study something that truly fulfilled me. I felt it was important to continue my education because it gave me access to tools and opportunities that are not available to many people, and I knew I had the chance to try again.
RCC: How did living between borders influence your journey?
UM: Having come from and grown up in a semi-rural environment in Mexico, there is a particular mindset about taking advantage of every opportunity to leave, grow and learn. The feeling of hunger and the need to stand out become even more intense when you immigrate to another country and a completely different environment, as was my case.
Since returning to university in the spring of 2025, I have taken even greater advantage of the opportunities presented in my classes. I believe that experiencing life after not following a predetermined path, whether because of what is expected from someone who wants to succeed or because of not having the necessary resources to study abroad, shaped the way I came back to university.
RCC: What has been the most surprising thing you’ve learned as an artist at CCNY?
UM: One of the most surprising things has been seeing how many more opportunities and exposure there are now for artists at the school. I first entered as an undergraduate student in Fall 2019, but due to the life circumstances I mentioned, I had to leave for about two and a half years.
When I returned in Spring 2025, I noticed a strong encouragement to create work based on powerful, personal stories. Many artists at CCNY are now leaning into storytelling in a much deeper and more meaningful way, and that has been really inspiring to witness.
RCC: As a visual storyteller, how do you find stories or inspiration for your animations?
UM: My inspiration has always come from lived experiences or experiences that are very close to me. Being Mexican American and having lived a large part of my life on both sides of the border is already a huge source of inspiration.
I feel a strong desire to tell stories about the problems and realities that surround me, as well as those experienced by other Mexicans who go through similar situations. This pushes me to create more authentic representations of those experiences.
As a Mexican artist, the stop-motion film I Am Frankelda has been a major inspiration for me. Being the first Mexican stop-motion feature film, it represents a huge milestone for Mexican and Latin American animation, both because of what it achieved and the context in which it was created.
RCC: What’s the story behind “No tan buenos días”? Can you tell me about your creative process while making this piece?
UM: As I started to dive deeper into animation, I had already been developing the idea of telling a story related to education in Mexico from a very personal perspective. I decided to portray what a young child feels when going to school shortly after migrating.
A large part of the creative process involved revisiting my memories and finding real references from the area where I lived in Mexico. It became an exercise of reconstructing both emotional and physical spaces from my past.
RCC: I feel like color is a very important element in “No tan buenos días.” How do you use color to support your visual storytelling?
UM: Color design was essential to this project because I wanted it to feel like waking up at dawn in a small town somewhere in Mexico. At the same time, color played an important narrative role.
The transition from warm tones, like oranges and reds, to colder tones, like blue, reflects the emotional shift of the story, especially during the character’s metaphorical and literal fall.
RCC: What’s next for you and what are your career goals? Any advice for aspiring artists?
UM: One of my short-term goals was to get this year into the character animation summer program at GOBELINS, one of the most prestigious animation schools in the world. A big part of my portfolio was my short film “No tan buenos días,” and thanks to that, I was accepted into the program where I will be attending in Paris, France.
Through this opportunity, I want to build connections, expand my knowledge, and immerse myself in a place where animation is truly part of everyday life. In the future, I would like to return to pursue a master’s degree related to animation.
As for advice, the most important thing I can say is: keep creating. We’re living in a time where creating is necessary, even when people say it’s not. The way we interpret and give meaning to life is one of the most valuable things we have as artists. The process is important, keep drawing, keep painting, keep animating.
Uriel Moran’s journey is the perfect example of perseverance. Like many immigrants in this country, pushing forward wasn’t an option for him; it was vital. Moran reminds us of the importance of both creation and education, as well as the ways art calls to us to tell our stories, a call impossible to resist.
Please enjoy Uriel Moran's short, "No tan buenos días"
R. Cardenas Colmenares got her BA in English at The City College of New York. She served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Paper during the 2025-2026 school year. Although she is a fiction writer and poet, she is drawn to the stories of real people and the search for social justice that comes with the role of a journalist. A graduating senior, Roxanna is a Great Grad for CCNY’s 2026 Commencement.
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