Who Is Rama Duwaji, Zohran Mamdani's Artist Wife Whom He Met On Hinge

Zohran Mamdani might not be the only socialist activist heading to Gracie Mansion this fall. His wife, 27-year-old multimedia artist Rama Duwaji, whose creative work often carries pro-Palestinian themes, will be by his side if he clinches the mayoralty in November.

Ms Duwaji, usually absent from the public eye, appeared onstage alongside her 33-year-old husband after his Democratic primary win against former Governor Andrew Cuomo. It was one of her rare campaign trail appearances since Mr Mamdani launched his bid in October.

During his victory speech Tuesday night, Zohran Mamdani acknowledged her. "I must thank my incredible wife," he said, drawing applause. "Rama, thank you," he added, kissing her hand.

She later shared a four-word Instagram post, "couldn't possibly be prouder", accompanied by a photo booth strip with Mr Mamdani and a voting selfie.

Who Is Rama Duwaji?

Rama Duwaji is a 27-year-old Syrian American animator and illustrator based in Brooklyn, New York. Originally listed on her Instagram as being from Damascus, her campaign says that she is "ethnically Syrian" and was born in Texas.

She met Zohran Mamdani several years ago on the dating app Hinge. The couple held a private engagement and a Nikkah ceremony in Dubai in December 2024, followed by a wedding at the New York City Clerk's office earlier this year.

Ms Duwaji earned a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York. Her work has been featured by The New Yorker, The Washington Post, BBC, Apple, Spotify, VICE, and the Tate Modern in London.

She uses drawn portraiture and movement to explore themes of sisterhood, Arab identity, communal experience, and political resistance, as per her website.

Her illustrations often focus on pro-Palestinian messages, including depictions of Israeli violence, ethnic cleansing, and US complicity. One of her animations, shared by Mr Mamdani, criticises New York charities for allegedly funding Israeli war crimes. "An artist's duty... is to reflect the times," she quoted singer and pianist Nina Simone in an interview.

She also creates ceramics, particularly hand-illustrated blue-and-white plates. Ms Duwaji has nearly 92,000 followers on Instagram, where she shares her artwork, political commentary, and other milestones.

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