Being deemed as “Gen Z’s Princess Diana” is a strong title, but one that has been consistently applied to Rama Duwaji. A Syrian illustrator and animator based in Brooklyn, N.Y., Duwaji has risen to cultural prominence alongside her husband Zohran Mamdani, the newly inaugurated mayor of New York City. 

Approaching this newfound position of popularity with quiet intentionality, Duwaji has captivated the public just weeks after being placed in the public political sphere. She quickly gained admiration for her activism, artistic eye, and relatability to the general population. 

Social media has become infatuated with her. Most notably, Duwaji has drawn comparisons to Princess Diana with hundreds of comments including, “She’s giving Diana’s quiet confidence. It’s mesmerizing,” and, “Middle Eastern Princess Diana”. Many people have been attracted to her confident timelessness; not only in appearance, but personality, attitude, and vibe. 

Admired for her distinctly unique fashion, Duwaji’s wardrobe has been highlighted throughout her public appearances. Displaying clean, minimalist, and tailored silhouettes, Duwaji portrays what can only be described as intentional elegance. On the night of Mamdani’s win, she wore Palestinian designer Zeid Hijazi. Her outfit featured traditional Palestinian embroidery of cypress trees – a cultural symbol of hope and resilience.

Many people were immediately drawn to this, noting how much of Duwaji’s public wardrobe directly ties into what she portrays throughout her artwork.

Duwaji is no stranger to the art world. Known for combining activism and aesthetics, she explores themes of cultural identity, femininity, and global issues throughout her digital portfolio of illustration and animations.

Centering Middle Eastern identity and social justice, her artwork can be seen in places including the New Yorker, The Washington Post, Apple, and Spotify. Her illustrations often reflect on worldwide social and political injustices, currently highlighting violence in Sudan, ongoing ICE raids in the U.S., and the genocide in Gaza. 

While mainly working in the digital medium, she additionally combines her love of illustration and pottery to create handmade ceramics. She has taught several workshops throughout her career in pottery, illustration, and animation. 

In an interview with Menna Shanab, Duwaji dives more in-depth on her motives for creating art. “My relationship to art changes depending on the stages of my life and has varied depending on where I live,” she said. “Right now, living in a turbulent NYC, I see art as an archival tool, as a way to hold memories, both personal and collective, in a way that words alone can’t always do. It’s been helpful for me as a tool to process what’s happening around me in the world. It definitely feels like a way to create a home; it solidifies the walls around me that otherwise feel like they might crumble down.” 

She highlights the importance of art when it comes to spreading awareness about injustice, additionally mentioning that art is inherently political in the ways it is made, funded, and shared. Duwaji said, “The choice to use art to engage or disengage with the state of the world is a deeply personal one, but it still doesn’t excuse us from acknowledging the injustices that are going on. At the end of the day, it’s all about intentions.”