Who Is Zohran Mamdani’s Wife, Rama Duwaji — The Artist Standing Beside the Rising Political Star Ahead of Election?
As New York City heads to the polls, all eyes are on Zohran Mamdani — the progressive State Assembly member and mayoral hopeful whose campaign has energized voters across the boroughs. Yet behind the headlines, many are curious about the woman who has quietly supported him: Rama Duwaji, his wife and a gifted Syrian-American artist.
A Syrian-American Upbringing
Rama Duwaji was born in Houston, Texas, to Syrian parents and spent her early years between the U.S. and the Gulf. When she was nine, her family moved to Dubai, an experience that shaped her multicultural perspective and deepened her creative outlook.
Education and Artistic Roots
Duwaji studied design at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts in Qatar before transferring to the university’s main campus in Richmond, Virginia. She later earned a master’s degree in illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where her artistic career began to flourish.
Her Work and Themes
Now 28, Duwaji works as an animator, illustrator, and ceramicist. Her pieces have appeared in respected outlets such as The New Yorker, The Washington Post, BBC, Vogue, and Tate Modern. Her art often explores identity, womanhood, and the Middle Eastern experience — portraying stories rarely seen in mainstream media.
A Modern Love Story
The couple’s relationship began on the dating app Hinge in 2021, not long after Mamdani’s election to the State Assembly. Their first date took place at Qahwah House, a cozy Yemeni café in Brooklyn, followed by a walk through his Astoria constituency. They became engaged in October 2024 and tied the knot this February in a modest civil ceremony at New York City’s clerk’s office — refuting rumors of a lavish overseas wedding.
Advocacy Through Art
Though she stays out of political campaigning, Duwaji’s artwork and public posts reflect her empathy for displaced communities and her outspoken support for Palestinian rights. “With so many people being silenced by fear, the least I can do is use my voice and my art,” she said in an earlier interview.
