Rama Duvaji did not appear to have any connection to Zohran Mamdani, except for a post she made on social media on the day of the Democratic primary in June. This is how the «First Lady» of New York City, who is a GenZ, an artist, and is fighting for the liberation of Palestinians, became known.
She did not perform the role of «First Lady», as she neither made any television appearances, nor sought publicity for Zohran Mamdani, nor did she accept to participate in a magazine feature.
See this post on Instagram.
Her social media is mainly about her artwork depicting women in the Middle East, and the situation in Palestine.
She may have passed over the traditional role that a potential «First Lady» might perform, but Duvaji has been present at key moments and has advised behind the scenes on social media and campaign promotion.
Duvaji, of Syrian descent, was born in Houston and lived in Texas until her family moved to Dubai when she was 9 years old. She attended the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar for a time before transferring to the University's Richmond campus where she earned her degree. She later earned a master's degree from the New York School of Visual Arts.
Her illustrations have been published in The Cut, BBC, Vogue and The New Yorker.
See this post on Instagram.
Next to the struggle of the Palestinian people
Duvaji has found the space to express her views through her art, which includes black and white images depicting women from the Middle East, the famine in Gaza and the Palestinian flag. Duvaji's works focus on Arab culture, social justice in the Middle East, particularly women's rights. Since 2023, the artist has created works on the genocide in Gaza and the civil war in Sudan. It should be noted that Mamdani also had the situation in Gaza as the frontline of his campaign.
