THE RUNDOWNFollowing Zohran Mamdani’s momentous election as New York City’s new mayor, attention has turned to his wife, Rama Duwaji.Duwaji is a Syrian-American illustrator and animator who has worked on commissioned works for clients such as The Washington Post, Spotify, and the Tate Modern.She’s previously talked about how she uses art to bring attention to humanitarian causes she cares about.On November 4, Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City in a landmark victory for the Democratic socialist. Beside him on election night was his wife, Rama Duwaji, a Syrian-American artist, whom Mamdani married in early 2025.Duwaji has largely kept a private life while creating political work that centers on Arab identity and social justice. As Mamdani prepares to assume office on Jan. 1, 2026, get to know more about NYC’s incoming first lady.Jump to:Duwaji was born in the U.S. and raised partly in Dubai before studying art in college.She’s an illustrator, animator, and ceramist with high-profile credits.Her work and social commentary often intersect with political themes.She met Zohran Mamdani on Hinge, a dating app, and they married in 2025.Duwaji has kept a low public profile while stepping into a more visible role.Duwaji was born in the U.S. and raised partly in Dubai before studying art in college.Duwaji, 28, was born in Houston to Syrian parents and spent part of her childhood in Dubai. She received formal art training in college, earning a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University’s arts program in 2019. She later moved to New York in 2021 to attend the School of Visual Arts, where she earned a master’s degree in Illustration as Visual Essay, per the New York Times.She’s an illustrator, animator, and ceramist with high-profile credits.Duwaji works across illustration, animation, and ceramics. Her projects and commissions have appeared in outlets such as The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Cut, and BBC. She’s also produced works for clients like Apple, Spotify, and the Tate Modern. In an April interview with Yung, a culture magazine that highlights creatives from the Middle East and Africa, Duwaji shared how she uses art to respond to sociopolitical issues, such as the recent surge in ICE raids in the U.S. and the war in Gaza.“My art stays being a reflection of what’s happening around me, but right now what feels even more useful than my role as an artist, is my role as a U.S. citizen,” she told the publication. “With so many people being pushed out and silenced by fear, all I can do is use my voice to speak out about what’s happening in the U.S. and Palestine and Syria as much as I can.”Her work and social commentary often intersect with political themes.Duwaji’s art often touches on topics like the humanitarian crises affecting the Middle East. In recent years, she’s produced pieces about the Palestinian experience amid the conflict with Israel. In 2023, for instance, she created a comic-style illustrative storyboard for a Washington Post feature about a Palestinian woman named Reem Ahmed who survived an Israeli strike after being trapped under rubble for 12 hours.She met Zohran Mamdani on Hinge, a dating app, and they married in 2025.Mamdani and Duwaji met on the dating app Hinge in 2021, were publicly engaged in late 2024, and held a City Hall civil ceremony in February 2025. Mamdani has publicly thanked Duwaji for her support on the campaign trail and in his victory remarks, affectionately called her the Arabic term “hayati,” meaning “my life.” He added, “There is no one I would rather have by my side in this moment, and in every moment.”Duwaji has kept a low public profile while stepping into a more visible role.Duwaji has largely avoided the spotlight and maintained a modest public presence. She keeps a low profile on social media and mostly posts about art inspiration and her commissioned works. “These days, I focus on making art about my experiences and the things I care about, and the community that forms from conversations about my work—both online and in person—happens organically,” she told Yung. “I make my work for people who care about the things I care about.”