Zohran Mamdani's Wife, Rama Duwaji, Talks About Her New Role as First Lady of NYC and Her Plans for the Future

For the animator and illustrator used to working quietly and on her own terms, being recognized before being understood came not as a celebration but as a reckoning.

In a series of images shared in collaboration with The Cut, Rama Duwaji was introduced to a rapidly expanding audience at a moment of heightened public curiosity.

Dressed with restraint and clarity, she appeared as a figure with her own visual language, prompting a wave of reactions that framed her less as a mayoral spouse and more as a cultural presence.

Social Media Reacts

As soon as the images dropped on social media, fans couldn't hold in their admiration. "She looks like a cave painting of an ancient goddess. Incredible side profile," one Redditor wrote. Another added, "Belongs in a museum."

"It's so refreshing to see real beauty that's not the same face many influencers and celebs have. Her neck the last picture with the high neck is so regal," a third commenter said. On X, admiration carried a similar tone. "She's [sic] looks like a powerful independent woman," one person wrote.

Another commented, "These photos are ready to hang in the white house as they are." A separate post declared, "Rama Duwaji is the coolest and prettiest first lady New York has ever seen." Fashion-focused communities echoed the response. "Finally!! A First Lady with true style and grace!!! 🙌," one commenter wrote, while another announced, "FIRST LADY DRESSING IS BACK."

A Private Person in a Public Moment

For Duwaji, the attention arrived faster than she could process. The sudden visibility followed the election of her husband, Zohran Mamdani, as New York City's mayor, pulling her into a public role she had never actively sought.

"It felt really vulnerable to be perceived at that level," Duwaji said. "It's surreal to see how many people have seen photos that were not even meant to be seen by anybody."

The exposure forced an immediate reckoning with how she was being defined. "I realized that it was not just his thing but our thing," she stated. "I wasn't necessarily offended, but it was more the perception of being seen as someone's wife."

She recalls spiraling when early coverage reduced her identity to a single relationship. "I was so upset because that one article showed up when you searched my name and not an interview I did on my art, or my work, or the things that I've done and the achievements that I've had as an artist," she revealed. "And now there's, like, a bajillion of them."

Choosing Visibility Carefully

As attention intensified, the couple decided to release photos from their courthouse wedding: intimate images of Duwaji in a white slip dress, bouquet in hand, flowers picked up at a bodega.

Even so, Duwaji acknowledges the pressure that comes with scale. "When you suddenly have, literally, a million eyes on your work, it does make you have the urge to clean stuff up. You do overthink small things," she disclosed.

She added, "But luckily, I just live in denial," she adds, laughing. "I try not to think of Instagram as my audience and more me and my art peers. I can't think about that big of an audience."

Defining What First Lady Means To Her

When asked how she feels about the title now attached to her name, Duwaji pauses. She said:

"It is surreal to hear. I think there are different ways to be First Lady, especially in New York. When I first heard it, it felt so formal and like — not that I didn't feel deserving of it, but it felt like, Me …? Now I embrace it a bit more and just say, 'There are different ways to do it.'"

Unlike previous First Ladies of the city, she is explicit about her boundaries. "At the end of the day, I'm not a politician," she admitted. "I'm here to be a support system for Z and to use the role in the best way that I can as an artist."

That vision shapes her plans. "There are so many artists trying to make it in the city — so many talented, undiscovered artists making the work with no instant validation, using their last paycheck on material," Duwaji revealed. "I think using this position to highlight them and give them a platform is a top priority."

Despite the demands of public life, she insists her own practice will continue. She declared:

"I have so much work that I have planned out, down to the dimensions and the colors that I'm going to use and materials. Some of that has been slightly put on hold, but I'm absolutely going to be focused on being a working artist."

"I'm definitely not stopping that. Come January, it's something that I want to continue to do," she added.

For Duwaji, the moment is still unfolding. The title may follow her now, but it does not define the limits of who she intends to be. As New York adjusts to a new administration, she remains focused on protecting her creative voice and lifting others who rarely get seen.

In fact, the public fascination had started earlier. In November, as the election unfolded, Duwaji's visibility began expanding in ways that mirrored the campaign's momentum.

Against all odds and expectations, 34-year-old democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani has emerged as the Big Apple's next mayor — a result that has rewritten the city's political script and caught even seasoned observers off guard.

As the celebration around his victory settled, another story began quietly unfolding — that of his wife, Brooklyn artist Rama Duwaji, whose gentle expressions had suddenly met the glare of the metropolis's spotlight.

Once a freelance illustrator navigating post-college life, Duwaji met Mamdani in 2021 on the dating app Hinge — a modern fairytale beginning that blossomed into a whirlwind romance. They tied the knot at the City Clerk's office in early 2025.

A Private Muse in the Public Eye

In a profoundly personal Instagram post on May 12, 2025, Mamdani poured his heart out:

"Three months ago, I married the love of my life, Rama, at the City Clerk's office. Now, right-wing trolls are trying to make this race — which should be about you — about her. Rama isn't just my wife, she's an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms."

Despite becoming a subject of widespread fascination since Mamdani's campaign took off, Duwaji has been noticeably absent from the limelight. According to The New York Times, she declined all press after the primary election, sharing that the sudden flood of attention was overwhelming.

To her close circle, however, Duwaji is already a beloved icon. Photographer Hasnain Bhatti, 32, didn't mince words, saying, "She's our modern day Princess Diana."

Her Syrian Roots, Her Art, Her Voice

Born in the United States, Duwaji has frequently discussed the complexity of her Syrian American identity. On a podcast, she revealed, "I was born in the States and lived here till I was nine." She added that before the war in Syria, she would sometimes deny that part of herself, telling people she was only American.

Professionally, Duwaji has carved a name for herself as a Syrian illustrator and animator whose work digs into themes of sisterhood and community. Working from her Brooklyn studio, she has built an impressive portfolio that spans The New Yorker, The Washington Post, BBC, Apple, Spotify, VICE, and Tate Modern.

She has also lent her expertise to the next generation of creators, teaching illustration and animation workshops with It's Nice That, a London-based digital media platform and creative publisher, in 2021. Although most of her work is digital, Duwaji also handcrafts ceramic pieces — a physical outlet for her artistic vision, blending pottery with her love for illustration.

In 2024, Duwaji earned her MFA in Illustration as a Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts, where her thesis project, "Sahtain!" — Arabic for "bon appétit" — transformed the act of cooking together into a vivid meditation on memory, belonging, and joy.

Riccardo Vecchio, chair of her graduate program, offered high praise for her dedication. "Very focused on her work," he said, noting her commitment to exploring perspectives underrepresented in Western art.

His Ugandan Roots, His Politics, His Vision

Standing beside her is an equally remarkable figure — Mamdani himself. Before stepping into City Hall, he served the 36th Assembly District — home to Astoria, Ditmars-Steinway, and Astoria Heights. Born in Kampala, Uganda, he immigrated to New York City at age seven and later became a U.S. citizen in 2018.

A graduate of the Bronx High School of Science and Bowdoin College, where he earned a degree in Africana Studies, Mamdani's life took a decisive turn when he worked as a foreclosure prevention housing counselor, helping low-income families in Queens. That experience, he said, opened his eyes to systemic inequality — and launched his political career.

Since entering public service, Mamdani has pushed a radical message: that the market should not determine dignity. His rise has also been historic — the first South Asian man, the first Ugandan, and only the third Muslim ever elected to New York State's Assembly.

'Rama Is Giving First Lady!!!': Social Media Erupts

But as Mamdani accepted his victory, the internet's gaze swung toward his wife — with admiration and infatuation colliding across platforms. On X, one fan posted, "Congrats to Zohran Mamdani on beating Andrew Cuomo. Rama is easily the most stunning First Lady in NYC's history."

Another wrote, "mamdanis wife rama duwaji is so beautiful it really goes to show how being a kindhearted and friendly man will get you a beautiful and artistic wife [sic]." A third post echoed the sentiment, "Will Rama Duwaji become the most stunning First Lady in American history? Maybe."

Reddit wasn't far behind. One commenter gushed, "That face card is lethal. She's stunning," while another declared, "She is [sic] real stunner!" Over on TikTok, the praise was even more poetic. "Wow, she give [sic] me such Princess Diana vibes. Her eyes are so expressive 💕," one viewer wrote. Another added, "Rama is giving first lady!!! So poised! ✨♥."

Whether she chooses to step forward into the public sphere or remain behind the scenes, Duwaji is already shaping a reimagined image of what a First Lady can be — one who embodies art, empathy, and quiet power.

Whether she steps further into view or protects the distance she has long valued, Duwaji's emergence has already shifted expectations. In a city watching closely, she is redefining visibility on her own terms: quietly, deliberately, and without apology.