Rama Duwaji
Duwaji in January 2026
First Lady of New York City
Current
Assumed role
January 1, 2026
Mayor Zohran Mamdani
Preceded by Tracey Collins (de facto)
Personal details
Born Rama Sawaf Duwaji
(1997-06-30) June 30, 1997 (age 28)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Spouse
Zohran Mamdani
​
(m.  2025)​
Relatives
  • Mahmood Mamdani (father-in-law)
  • Mira Nair (mother-in-law)
Education
  • Virginia Commonwealth University (BFA)
  • School of Visual Arts (MFA)
Occupation
  • Animator
  • illustrator
  • ceramist
Website ramaduwaji.com

Rama Sawaf Duwaji[a] (born June 30, 1997) is an American animator, illustrator, and ceramist. Throughout her career, her illustrations have been featured in The New Yorker and The Washington Post, as well as at Vice, the BBC, Apple, and Tate Modern.[1]

Duwaji is the current first lady of New York City, following the inauguration of her husband, Zohran Mamdani, as mayor of New York City in 2026.

Early life and education

Rama Sawaf Duwaji[2] was born on June 30, 1997[3] in Houston, Texas, to Syrian Muslim parents from Damascus.[3][4][5] Her father, Marwan Duwaji, is a software developer, and her mother, Bariah Dardari, is a pediatrician who also worked on humanitarian missions in warzones with the Syrian American Medical Society;[6][7] the couple had married shortly before her birth.[7] In 2006, following Dardari's appointment at the local American Hospital, the family left their home in Wayne, New Jersey, and moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates,[6][7][8] and Duwaji spent the remainder of her childhood in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf.[9]

Duwaji has described drawing as her solace, and she would often get in trouble for doodling in her textbooks and notebooks at school.[6] Her parents were supportive of her love of art, but encouraged her to be practical with her career choices.[6] After graduating from high school, Duwaji studied communication arts at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts.[6][8] She first attended classes at the school's satellite campus in Doha, Qatar, during her freshman year, then transferred to its main campus in Richmond, Virginia,[6][8] where she obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts cum laude in 2019.[6][10]

Duwaji then returned to her family in Dubai and participated in various artist residencies, including in Beirut, Lebanon, and in Paris, France,[6] until moving to New York City in 2021 to study illustration as a visual essay at the School of Visual Arts.[6] There, she earned a Master of Fine Arts in 2024,[6][11] with a graduate thesis focused on making and sharing dishes as a communal act.[6] After obtaining her master's degree, Duwaji was one of 24 artists selected for an artist residency in the Catskill Mountains, New York, from more than 500 applicants.[6]

Artistry

Duwaji's illustrations often explore Arab culture and focus on social justice in the Middle East, particularly women's rights,[5][11] but also depict scenes of daily life in those countries.[6] She told YUNG magazine, "I used to want my work to move everyone. Now I just want it to move someone – the people who need it."[1] Her work has been published in The New York Times and The Washington Post, as well as British outlets and venues like the BBC and Tate Modern, and she has collaborated with Spotify and Apple.[4][11]

Since 2023, Duwaji has created numerous works about the Gaza genocide and the Israel–Hezbollah conflict, as well as artwork supporting the victims of the Sudanese Civil War.[6][12]

Personal life

Duwaji and her husband at his mayoral inauguration

Duwaji met Zohran Mamdani – the son of academic Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair – on the dating app Hinge in 2021, when he was a member of the New York State Assembly.[6][8][11][13] They were engaged in October 2024,[8] held a private nikah ceremony two months later in Dubai,[11][14] and married in February 2025 in a civil ceremony at New York City Hall;[6][12] they also had a ceremony in Uganda – Mamdani's birth country – in July 2025.[6]

Following Mamdani's victory in the 2025 mayoral election, and his subsequent inauguration as mayor, Duwaji became the first lady of New York City in January 2026,[6] making her the first Gen Z-er and the first Muslim to assume the role.[15] She helped curate visuals for his campaign.[3][16]

The couple resided in Mamdani's legislative district of Astoria, Queens, near Steinway Street,[5][6] until they moved into Gracie Mansion after taking office on January 12, 2026.[15]

In March 2026, Duwaji became the subject of controversy after it was revealed she had liked posts on social media celebrating the Palestinian cause immediately after the Hamas-led October 7 attacks, including one which referenced the attacks as "breaking the walls of apartheid and military occupation".[17][18]

Notes

  1. ^ Arabic: رَامَا صَوَاف دُوَجِي, romanized: Rāmā Ṣawāf Duwajī.

References

  1. ^ a b Baião Santos, Mariana (November 14, 2025). "Rama Duwaji – The New Kind of It Girl". YUNG. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
  2. ^ Bregman, Alexandra (October 2, 2025). "Rama Duwaji, Zohran Mamdani's Wife, Lets Art Speak For Her". Forbes. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Walters, Meg (November 5, 2025). "Who is Rama Duwaji? Meet New York City's first Gen Z First Lady". Glamour UK. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Hornik, Caitlin (June 27, 2025). "From Hinge to City Hall? Meet Zohran Mamdani's artist wife Rama Duwaji". The Independent. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Noveck, Jocelyn (June 25, 2025). "Zohran Mamdani's wife Rama Duwaji is an animator, illustrator and ceramicist. And they met on Hinge". AP News. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Hasan, Sadiba (October 12, 2025). "When Your Hinge Date Is New York's Mayoral Front-Runner". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 29, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Vincent, Isabel (November 8, 2025). "Zohran Mamdani's wife Rama Duwaji uses her art to rage against US 'imperialism' and 'Israeli war crimes'". New York Post. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d e Pazmino, Gloria; John, Arit (November 2, 2025). "Rama Duwaji, Zohran Mamdani's wife, stays in the background by design". CNN. Archived from the original on November 3, 2025. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  9. ^ Duwaji, Rama; Pearce, Isabella; Robathan, Hannah (May 24, 2019). "In conversation with Rama Duwaji". Shado Magazine. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  10. ^ Moreno, Sabrina (July 2, 2025). "Rama Duwaji, Zohran Mamdani's wife, has Richmond roots". Axios. Archived from the original on July 15, 2025. Retrieved August 1, 2025. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; August 1, 2025 suggested (help)
  11. ^ a b c d e Matza, Max (June 26, 2025). "Rama Duwaji: Who is the wife of NYC candidate Zohran Mamdani?". BBC. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  12. ^ a b Sutherland, Callum (June 26, 2025). "Meet Rama Duwaji, the Artist Who Met Zohran Mamdani on Hinge". TIME. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
  13. ^ Marcelo, Philip (June 25, 2025). "Who is Zohran Mamdani? State lawmaker seeks to become New York City's first Muslim and Indian American mayor". Associated Press. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
  14. ^ Bandyopadhyay, Bahni (November 5, 2025). "Did you know? Zohran Mamdani's wife went to school in Dubai, met him on Hinge". Khaleej Times. Archived from the original on November 17, 2025. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  15. ^ a b O'Keeffe, Ella (November 7, 2025). "Who Is NYC's First Lady? Introducing Rama Duwaji". Coveteur. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  16. ^ Valsania, Marco (November 5, 2025). "Rama Duwaji, the Gen Z artist who will be First Lady of New York and 'designed' Mamdani's campaign". Il Sole 24 Ore. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  17. ^ Tress, Luke (March 7, 2026). "Mamdani's wife liked posts celebrating Oct. 7". The Times of Israel. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  18. ^ Mays, Jeffery C.; Goldenberg, Sally (March 7, 2026). "Mamdani Defends Wife Amid Criticism of Her Support for Palestinian Cause". New York Times. Retrieved March 7, 2026.