Profile of Rama Duwaji, wife of Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Rama Duwaji’s name surfaced after her husband, Zohran Mamdani, was just elected mayor of New York, United States (US), on Tuesday evening (11/4).

Mamdani is a phenomenal figure because in addition to being only 34 years old, he is also the first Muslim leader of Indian descent and African descent to occupy the highest office in New York City.

Inevitably, the wife’s figure also aroused curiosity among the public because she was said to be responsible for the success of her husband’s digital political campaign strategy. Duwaji’s figure is not dazzled by the glare of the camera amid her husband’s ever-rising profile.

Although she wasn’t always present during her husband’s campaign, Duwaji was present on the eve of the New York mayoral election on June 24, and she took the stage after her husband gave his victory speech Tuesday night (4/11).

After Zohran Mamdani is officially inaugurated on January 1, 2026 as mayor of New York, Rama Duwaji will become the youngest Gen Z “first lady” in the history of the city, often nicknamed the “Big Apple.”

The following is the profile and life story of Rama Duwaji which you can read.

Duwaji is of Syrian descent and was born in Houston, United States, in 1997. He then lived in Texas until his family moved to Dubai when he was nine. Based on his Instagram bio, Duwaji works as an illustrator and animator.

Duwaji graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar before transferring to the main campus in Richmond to complete his degree. He then earned a Master of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York in 2024.

He is known for having participated in numerous artistic residency programs in Lebanon and France. He then moved to New York in 2021 to continue his artistic career.

His illustration work has appeared in numerous major media outlets such as The New Yorker, BBC, The Washington Post and Vogue. He has also worked with well-known clients such as Apple and Spotify.

Duwaji, who enjoys creating handmade pottery, has also taught illustration and animation workshops. Most of his artistic works feature black and white illustrations and often deal with themes of identity, resistance and injustice, especially from a pro-Palestinian perspective.

He married Mamdani earlier this year, who he met via the dating app Hinge in 2021. In his victory speech Tuesday night (11/4), Mamdani also expressed his thanks to Duwaji, who he called an amazing wife: “There is no one I would rather be by my side now and at all times.”

Read also: When New York elected a Muslim socialist mayor

Read also: Mayor of London welcomes Mamdani’s victory in New York: I hope to win

Read also: Zohran Mamdani is expected to win the New York City mayoral election

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