“The Apple” is a stop-motion animation by Andrea Sanchez-Rivera, a talented 8th-grade artist from Miami.

OMNIA: What’s the story behind this piece?

ANDREA: The piece is a message about how big-name companies often try to hide scandals, but eventually they are released. As the video goes on, the painting and carving become messier, and eventually, you see the hands that actually do it, which represents people eventually seeing the person in these types of situations.

OMNIA: Tell us a bit about yourself! How did you get into art, or stop motion specifically?

ANDREA: I got into art at a very young age, and living in Miami, I was surrounded by art! I have always loved color and was never much of an athletic kid. So, I thought, why not art? And to this day, I still enjoy the moments of me doodling in the margins of my paper to painting on a canvas. For this piece, I wanted to try something out of my comfort zone, which was stop motion!

OMNIA: Finally, are there any aspects of the creation process that you’d like to highlight?

ANDREA: I think stop motion is a really fun way of expression, but it does have its challenges! One thing that was hard for me was trying to make sure the apple was in the same position the entire time. That was really a feat since I always had to cut a piece off or color in a part. Another difficult part? Trying to keep your nosy family from interrupting the artistic process!! Jokes aside, I think stop motion is a great medium and deserves more credit than it’s given!