New York City’s incoming first lady, Rama Duwaji, has said she has no plans to step away from her career as an illustrator after her husband, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, is inaugurated on January 1, according to The New York Post, which cited a profile published by New York Magazine.
The 28-year-old artist told the magazine she would remain “absolutely” focused on her work.
“I’m definitely not stopping that. Come January, it’s something that I want to continue to do,” Duwaji told New York Magazine, The Post stated.
Using the role to support artists
Duwaji reportedly suggested she plans to use her new platform to spotlight emerging artists struggling to gain recognition in New York City.
“At the end of the day, I’m not a politician. 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,” she said.
“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 added. “I think using this position to highlight them and give them a platform is a top priority.”
Adjusting to public scrutiny
Duwaji also addressed the sudden public attention that followed Mamdani’s rise, acknowledging the difficulty of no longer being viewed as a private citizen.
“I realized that it was not just his thing but our thing,” she said.
She admitted feeling frustrated when early media coverage focused on her role as Mamdani’s wife rather than her own work.
“I was spiraling about how, that night, the first article to come out was like, ‘Who Is Zohran Mamdani’s Wife?’” she said. “And 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.”
Politics ‘always on my mind’
Despite staying mostly out of the spotlight during the Mamdani campaign, Duwaji reportedly told New York Magazine that she is deeply engaged with political issues.
“Speaking out about Palestine, Syria, Sudan — all these things are really important to me,” she said. “Everything is political.”
“It’s the thing that I talk about with Z … and my friends, the thing that I’m up to date with every morning, which is probably not great for my mental health,” she said.
Move to Gracie Mansion
Duwaji also commented on the couple’s move from their apartment in Astoria, Queens, to Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence.
“It’ll be fine,” she said, taking what the reporter described as a deflated breath.
“I’ll be down the street from the Guggenheim and the Met. It’ll be really nice to just explore a new part of the city,” she added, noting that Gracie Mansion remains close to Astoria. “So it doesn’t feel too far away.”
