Who is Rama Duwaji, the Dubai-raised artist married to New York's mayor Zohran Mamdani? Salaam
Salaam - Syrian‑American illustrator and designer Rama Duwaji has recently come into the public eye.
Based in New York City, she’s known for her black‑and‑white drawings of women, using expressive lines to explore sisterhood, Arab identity, shared experiences and political resistance.
Even if you don’t follow her work closely, you might know her name: Rama is married to Zohran Mamdani, who was recently elected New York City’s first Muslim mayor. As Mamdani said after their marriage earlier this year, “Rama isn’t just my wife, she’s an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms.”
Duwaji keeps her private life fairly quiet online, and not much is public about her family in Dubai. She was born in Houston and lived in Texas until her family moved to Dubai when she was nine. She reportedly spent a short time at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar before finishing her degree at the Richmond campus.
The couple met on a dating app in 2021 and had their first date at Qahwah House, a Yemeni coffee shop in Brooklyn. They later wed in a Manhattan courthouse.
At 28, Rama would be the first member of Gen Z to potentially move into the mayoral residence at Gracie Mansion, should the couple decide to live there.
Her art often features women of colour, highlighting individuality, beauty and the small details of their lives. She uses her work to tell stories about current events and to stand with marginalised communities, especially in the Arab world.
Rama has been open about her support for Palestine. In 2021 she posted an image of three people standing together, elbows joined, with the Arabic words “we won’t leave” across it, and commented on the threatened displacement in Sheikh Jarrah. Earlier this year she shared an illustration about the hunger crisis in Gaza and urged people to keep attention on the situation and support relief efforts.
Her illustrations have appeared in major international outlets and platforms, and she’s held solo shows in places like Virginia and Beirut. Her portfolio spans editorial work, screen prints, children’s illustrations, graphic novels, and she also makes ceramics - notably blue‑and‑white illustrated plates.
During the COVID years she spent much of her time with family in Dubai before returning to the US. She told a magazine in 2022 that she had wanted to move to New York before the pandemic, and arrived in a city where she didn’t know many people. She started reaching out to creatives she admired and built a community that way, meeting many Arab‑American artists.
May Allah grant her success in her work and protect families affected by conflict. If you’re interested in contemporary Arab art, her pieces are worth seeking out.
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