Rama Duwaji is certainly having an eventful autumn.
She recently made headlines, seated front row at the Diotima runway show during New York Fashion Week, alongside notable figures like Instagram executive Eva Chen, acclaimed fashion designer Willy Chavarria, and influential model and activist Bethann Hardison.
Her illustrations also appeared in a prominent New York magazine feature, depicting objects Palestinians carried with them when they fled Gaza.
Over Labor Day weekend, a different scene unfolded: she attended a fundraiser in a Williamsburg bar’s backyard for mutual aid groups in Sudan, where Farsi melodies and oud music filled the air. Her powerful black-and-white prints, including one of two women standing defiantly with interlocked arms, were available for sale inside.
Yet, what Rama Duwaji, 28, hasn’t been doing this summer and fall is actively campaigning for her husband.
The state assemblyman she met on Hinge in 2021 was then a relatively unknown figure. At the time, Ms. Duwaji was pursuing her dream of being a freelance animator and illustrator, a life she’d imagined when she first moved to New York after college. Now, that man is the widely recognized Zohran Mamdani.
Now, Ms. Duwaji is navigating the profound changes that come with her recently married husband running for mayor in a highly publicized election, and what it means for their shared life.
Following Mr. Mamdani’s surprising victory over Mr. Cuomo in the June Democratic primary, Ms. Duwaji stood proudly by his side during his victory speech, radiating grace in a boatneck dress adorned with a “Zohran NYC” pin. Her Instagram following exploded by over 100,000 in the days that followed, with many captivated by her “cool” aesthetic and creative pursuits.
“She’s our modern-day Princess Diana,” remarked Hasnain Bhatti, 32, a photographer and close friend.
Since the primary, she has shied away from all press, including an interview for this piece, citing the unfamiliarity of such public attention. Her husband’s campaign opted not to comment on her choice to avoid public election events or what her potential role might be if he were to win.
Those closest to her describe this period as both exhilarating and overwhelming, a far cry from the life she envisioned when she first arrived in New York City in 2021.
However, Ms. Duwaji is vocal on her personal platforms. In August, following the tragic death of Anas al-Sharif, a 28-year-old Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist in Gaza due to Israeli strikes, she shared an animation on Instagram. It featured a metal chain surrounding the quote: “I urge you to not let chains silence you or borders hold you back,” transitioning to a Palestinian flag with the powerful message: “end the genocide.”
“I believe everyone has a responsibility to speak out against injustice, and art has such an ability to spread it,” Ms. Duwaji stated in an April interview with Yung, a Middle East and Africa-based magazine. Her designs frequently highlight humanitarian crises in Gaza, Sudan, and Lebanon, and beautifully capture intimate moments of Middle Eastern life.
Despite her husband’s rapid political ascent, she has actively avoided the typical campaign media circuit for spouses, preferring to remain outside the traditional political limelight. Instead, she dedicates her time to art events and conducting ceramics workshops across the city. Should Mr. Mamdani win next month, one of the most pressing questions she might face is whether she can maintain this independent artistic life.
Chirlane McCray, New York City’s immediate past First Lady, was already two decades into her marriage with Bill de Blasio when he was first elected Mayor. An artist herself, Ms. McCray served in the role for eight years.
Although she hasn’t met Ms. Duwaji, McCray acknowledges that while the role comes with its own set of expectations, “times have changed.”
“I think that there’s more acceptance now that a spouse can define their level of visibility,” McCray added.
From Texas to Dubai, and Now, New York City
As a child, Ms. Duwaji, born in Houston and of Syrian descent, often found herself in trouble for doodling in schoolbooks. After moving to Dubai at age nine, drawing became her sanctuary, a constant source of comfort she has often shared in interviews.
“Time goes by really quickly when I draw,” she remarked during a 2020 podcast interview.
While her father, a software developer, and her mother, a doctor, supported her artistic passion, they also urged practicality in career choices. Nevertheless, in her final months of high school in Dubai, she firmly decided to pursue art professionally.
Her academic journey began at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar for her freshman year, before she transferred to the main VCU campus in Richmond, Virginia, to complete her undergraduate degree.
It was in Richmond that she acutely felt the challenges of fitting in as a Syrian. In a 2019 podcast, she explained, “I started making work about identity, what it means to be Syrian abroad, and kind of just delved into these topics that meant a lot to me.”
After earning her bachelor’s degree in communication arts in 2019, Ms. Duwaji returned to Dubai to live with her family. During this time, she engaged in several artist residencies in vibrant cultural centers like Beirut and Paris.
Upon her move to New York in 2021 to further her artistic career, she quickly connected with Mr. Mamdani. His friends fondly recall his early giddiness about their relationship, noting how seamlessly Ms. Duwaji integrated into their circle. Some even playfully admitted to liking her more than Zohran himself.
No longer a Brooklyn resident, she and Mr. Mamdani now share a home in Astoria, near the bustling Steinway Street, a vibrant hub of Arab cuisine and culture, brimming with hookah lounges and restaurants.
Friends from New York’s close-knit Muslim-American art and creative communities describe Ms. Duwaji as a relatively new New Yorker with an uncanny ability to always know the best gallery exhibits in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, and where to find the city’s finest shawarma.
Her top recommendation? Al-Sham Restaurant in Bay Ridge.
Forging Her Own Path
One of her animations features a pair of hands gracefully massaging kale, chopping pecans, and peeling a carrot. A woman’s narration recalls her Egyptian upbringing, highlighting the expressive way women in her family used their hands while cooking.
This piece is part of her master’s thesis, titled “Sahtain!” (an Arabic expression akin to “bon appétit”), which explores the communal joy of preparing and sharing food.
In 2024, Ms. Duwaji earned her Master of Fine Arts in illustration as visual essay from the School of Visual Arts in New York. Riccardo Vecchio, chair of her master’s program and her Painting II instructor, remembers her as exceptionally dedicated to her craft.
Vecchio noted that early, lecture-based classes focused on expanding artistic perspectives to include those underrepresented in Western art history, a topic that deeply resonated with Ms. Duwaji.
When playfully asked if she submitted her assignments on time, Mr. Vecchio chuckled.
“I think she was a little behind schedule, but, ultimately, it all came together in the end,” he confirmed. “Everything got done.”
Following her master’s degree, she was one of only 24 artists, from a pool of over 500 applicants, chosen for an artist’s residency in the Catskills.
“She’s got her own distinct style,” praised Steven Weinberg, an author and illustrator who hosted the residency. “Some artists are so unique, you can recognize their work even from a stick figure.”
On October 21, 2024, Mr. Mamdani shared a smiling photo of Ms. Duwaji on Instagram, captioned “Light of my life. 💍” with the hashtag #hardlaunch. Just two days later, on October 23, 2024, he unveiled another major development: his mayoral campaign.
During the initial phase of the campaign, his new fiancée mostly maintained her artistic endeavors in private. However, by spring, some critics began to question if he was deliberately “hiding” her from the public eye.
To address these concerns, Mr. Mamdani subsequently posted more photos of Ms. Duwaji on Instagram, including images from their courthouse wedding: the couple on the subway, Ms. Duwaji in a white dress and vintage coat holding flowers, and both of them at City Hall.
He revealed that they had married in February, just three months prior, instantly bringing her into the public spotlight. In July, the couple also hosted a wedding celebration in Uganda, Mr. Mamdani’s birthplace, attended by friends from New York. One strict rule for the festivities: no phones allowed.
The Final Stretch: Campaign and Creativity
In August, as her husband steadily accumulated small campaign donations, Ms. Duwaji was immersed in the tranquility of the Catskill Mountains, leading a tile workshop where participants painted ceramic tiles inspired by indigenous Syrian flora.
During the retreat, Ms. Duwaji met Rowan Spencer, who was wearing a shirt showcasing Irish and Palestinian solidarity. They connected over their shared Irish and Syrian heritage – Mr. Spencer’s family hails from Cork, Ireland, and Ms. Duwaji encouraged his pride in his background. He described their conversation as exploring “experiences growing up between the States and these homelands which have been torn up by war and conflict.”
“She makes you feel really comfortable,” commented Mr. Spencer, co-founder of Mon Petit Canard, the pop-up restaurant that curated the music and food for the retreat.
Spencer, 36, also noted her impeccable style throughout the event, frequently sporting her “big, beautiful boots” — perhaps not the most practical footwear for a woodland retreat, but undeniably fashionable.
These distinctive boots are a signature element of Ms. Duwaji’s personal style, which her friends emphasize is a crucial aspect of her self-expression.
Her wardrobe is a curated collection of eye-catching vintage items, layered gold jewelry, elegant one-shoulder tops, and flowing midi skirts.
Rachel Scott, the founder of Diotima, personally invited Ms. Duwaji to her fashion show. “I was intrigued by her work and personal style, so having her at the show was really exciting,” Ms. Scott shared.
Despite being in the final push of the election, that front-row seat at Fashion Week was just one of her many public appearances, always without a security detail, yet consistently away from the official campaign trail.
Should her husband emerge victorious in November, Ms. Duwaji would step into a role that has remained largely vacant for the past five decades.
“We don’t really have a history of first ladies in modern-day New York,” explained Christina Greer, an associate professor of political science at Fordham University. She pointed out that recent mayors like Michael Bloomberg, Ed Koch (both serving 12 years), and Eric Adams were unmarried during their tenures.
“There isn’t a template for this role,” Ms. Greer continued, suggesting that this absence provides Ms. Duwaji significant freedom to carve out her own path, especially in a city known for its acceptance of unconventional figures.
This dynamic marks a notable shift even from 11 years ago, when Ms. McCray assumed the role of First Lady.
“I don’t think people realize how much there is to navigate,” Ms. McCray reflected.
Regardless of the outcome, if Ms. Duwaji becomes New York’s First Lady just four years after arriving as an aspiring artist, Ms. McCray believes she possesses a key advantage.
“Fortunately, her youth will give her more energy,” Ms. McCray concluded. “Which is helpful because it is the city that never sleeps.”