Rama Duwaji, wife of NYC’s Zohran Mamdani, is a Syrian-American artist known for her powerful illustrations and global cultural identity.
NEW YORK: While New Yorkers may know Zohran Mamdani for his political rise, fewer know the story of his wife, Rama Duwaji — a Syrian-American illustrator and animator with an impressive creative journey of her own. The couple met on the dating app Hinge in 2021, quickly forming a deep connection that led to marriage in 2025.
Born in Houston and raised in Dubai from the age of nine, Rama brings a global perspective to everything she creates. She studied at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Qatar campus before transferring to Richmond, later completing a master’s in illustration from New York’s School of Visual Arts. Her art — often centred on identity, womanhood and the Arab diaspora — has appeared in The New Yorker, BBC, Apple, The Washington Post, and even at the Tate Modern.
Rama Duwaji is not just “Zohran Mamdani’s wife” — she’s a bold voice in the art world. She creates work that invites quiet reflection and cultural dialogue. While she prefers staying behind the scenes, she played a subtle role in shaping her husband’s campaign visuals, lending her creative skills to the movement’s look and feel.
Their wedding, though private, gained attention when the couple celebrated in Uganda, Zohran’s birthplace, months after their City Hall ceremony. While some headlines focused on the wedding’s optics, Rama stayed grounded in her values — art, identity, and quiet strength.
“I create art that speaks to what I’ve lived,” she once said. “If it sparks conversation, even better.” Together, Zohran and Rama represent a partnership that blends creativity, culture, and purpose — each leading in their own way.
