My first encounter with Rama Duwaji's art was while waiting in line for the restroom at the Levantine bistro Huda in East Williamsburg back in 2024. It took me a second to realize that I was looking at an NYC-mandated first-aid poster, transformed into a stunning artwork in what I can now recognize as Duwaji's signature style. The Texas-born, Syrian-American artist has created illustrations and animations for the New Yorker , Tate Modern, and BBC , among other outlets and institutions. Last November, Duwaji became a household name after her husband, Zohran Mamdani, swept the New York City mayoral race in a historic victory that inspired and delighted millions. A private person by nature, she was catapulted into the spotlight, finding herself cast as a tastemaker and Gen-Z role model on the left, and a Muslim boogeywoman on the right.   Last week, I met Duwaji at Gracie Mansion in Upper Manhattan for a wide-ranging conversation about her art practice and her life as first lady of New York.…