This is the figure of Rama Duwaji, the “First Lady” of New York of Generation Z and the first Muslim

Jakarta (ANTARA) – New York City just wrote a new story in its political scene. At just 34 years old, Zohran Mamdani managed to become the youngest new mayor and the first Muslim.

Not only that, Zohran is also referred to as the first South Asian descendant to successfully lead the largest metropolitan city in the United States.

However, behind this achievement, there is a young Gen Z woman playing a behind-the-scenes role in the success of New York’s mayor-elect.

The woman is Rama Duwaji, wife of Zohran Mamdani, who will soon hold the title of “First Lady”, meaning the youngest First Lady of New York and the first Muslim in January 2026.

So, who is Rama Duwaji?

Rama Sawaf Duwaji is a talented artist of Damascus origin, a Syrian Muslim who is only 28 years old. This figure whose full name is Rama Sawaf Duwaji was born in Houston, Texas, USA on June 30, 1997.

It is known that his father works as a software developer, while his mother is a doctor.

Although he currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, the figure who will become mayor of New York is known to have spent his childhood with his Muslim family in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). He moved there when he was nine.

Rama Duwaji’s education

Rama continued his higher education at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Arts and graduated in 2019 with honors. His degree also earned him a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Communication Arts in 2019.

Previously, while pursuing his studies, he studied at the branch campus in Doha, Qatar. However, he continued his education at the main campus in Richmond, Virginia.

Without stopping, he continued his education to the next level at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), New York City. About 5 years later, Rama managed to obtain a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Illustration as a visual essay in 2024.

Rama Duwaji’s professional path

With his school diploma, Rama chose a career as a digital illustrator, short film animator and even became a ceramic craftsman.

Being a ceramic craftsman, he does not work casually. He often combines his love of illustration with ceramic to create unique hand-drawn dishes.

Besides that, through her work as an artist, she often raises various issues, ranging from the representation of women, to human relationships, to mental health, to profound political issues, including criticism of the genocide that occurred in Gaza, Palestine.

Apart from this, there is one of his famous works, which is an illustration for Vogue magazine highlighting the garment industry workers of New York City. Where the work is titled “The Cutter, the Sower, and the Grommet Queen”.

He is also said to have been successful in his career. Many of his works have appeared in numerous prestigious publications, such as The New Yorker, BBC, The Washington Post, VICE, Vogue, Apple, Spotify and Tate Modern.

In addition to being an artist, Duwaji is also known to be active in teaching illustration, animation, and ceramic workshops, including collaborating in 2021 with a creative platform called It’s Nice That.

The first time I met my husband, Zohran Mamdami

Who would have thought that Rama Duwaji first met her husband, Zohran Mamdani, in 2021 through a dating application called Hinge.

Starting from Hinge, the two finally decided to live together through a first engagement which took place in October 2024.

Until February 2025, the two got married at the city clerk’s office, in Manhattan, and went on to have a luxurious wedding celebration in July 2025 in Uganda.

Aside from that, there was one expression that stood out from her husband. Where he said that Rama was not just his wife, but an extraordinary artist who deserved to be known in her own way.

“Rama is not only my wife, she is an amazing artist who deserves to be known in her own right. You can criticize my opinions, but not my family,” Zohran wrote when his wife came under fire due to the spread of wedding photos and information.

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