--- description: Just a few months ago, Duwaji was celebrating her marriage to Mamdani. Now, she will soon become New York City's First Lady. title: Meet Rama Duwaji, the Artist Who Met Zohran Mamdani on Hinge image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt00b9e1110e7f7a0f/6998cb73e2d64babafc5fd5f/GettyImages-2244567252.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [New York](/tag/new-york/) ## New York Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Meet Rama Duwaji, the Illustrator Who Met Zohran Mamdani on Hinge—and Will Soon Become NYC's First Lady by [Callum Sutherland](/author/callum-sutherland/) ## Callum Sutherland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Reporter Updated: Nov 5, 2025 9:29 PM CUTPublished: Jun 26, 2025 6:17 PM CUT  Zohran Mamdani celebrates alongside his wife Rama Duwaji during an election night event at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in New York, on Nov. 4, 2025. Zohran Mamdani celebrates alongside his wife Rama Duwaji during an election night event at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in New York, on Nov. 4, 2025.Angela Weiss—Getty Images by [Callum Sutherland](/author/callum-sutherland/) ## Callum Sutherland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Reporter Updated: Nov 5, 2025 9:29 PM CUTPublished: Jun 26, 2025 6:17 PM CUT Among a tightly-packed crowd on a subway train from Astoria to New York City Hall, Rama Duwaji was on her way to get married. Wearing a white gown with knee high boots, she walked into the city clerk’s office with flowers in one hand, and [Zohran Mamdani’s](https://time.com/7296925/zohran-mamdani-nyc-mayoral-primary/ "undefined") hand in the other. Without an entourage, a close friend and photographer captured their exchange of vows. A few months later, far from the quiet and personal wedding ceremony, Duwaji found herself under bright lights in Brooklyn, proudly looking on as her husband delivered his victory speech after [winning the New York City mayoral race](https://time.com/7331192/zohran-mamdani-wins-nyc-mayor-race/ "undefined"). With Mamdani set to [reshape the political landscape](https://time.com/7297771/zohran-mamdani-republicans-israel-democrats/ "undefined") in New York, increased attention has turned to his wife. An artist and illustrator, Duwaji has built a body of work that is deeply personal, often political, and rooted in a commitment to storytelling across diasporas and displacement. The couple met years earlier on the dating app Hinge, long before Mamdani’s name became prominent in state politics. “There is still hope in those dating apps,” Mamdani told The Bulwark [podcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZoW47fyK30&t=1723s "undefined") during his campaign. Born in Texas to a Syrian family, Duwaji has [created illustrations](https://www.ramaduwaji.com/illustration?pgid=m6qm81n7-a542268f-a803-44dc-a8fa-0ed51837378c "undefined") that explore and celebrate female experiences through her art, from the seemingly mundane of [reading](https://www.ramaduwaji.com/illustration?pgid=m6qm81n7-867281ac-99c6-4a8b-89fe-1fdf1895f7db "undefined") and [playing music](https://www.ramaduwaji.com/illustration?pgid=m6qm81n7-ad271888-d612-4a8b-9e00-83715b217bba "undefined") to [women “rising against tyranny”](https://www.ramaduwaji.com/illustration?pgid=m6qm81n7-8a9176b8-8886-4e4f-adec-df4870293d07 "undefined") and [unsolved murders in Yemen](https://www.ramaduwaji.com/who-killed-my-grandfather "undefined"). The 27-year-old has also highlighted the experience of [Reem Ahmed](https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz3U2uPM3D7/?igsh=eDN3bGY2dmQ2MmFk "undefined"), an architect from Gaza who was trapped under the rubble of her home for 12 hours after an Israeli airstrike which killed members of her family. In April, [the artist shared a post titled](https://www.instagram.com/p/DIJV1yfC38N/?img%5Findex=7&igsh=MXQxNXhmd3V1a2FjdA%3D%3D "undefined") “Art in times of crisis,” in which she discussed feeling burnt out, living in a “turbulent” New York City, and her belief that “Art is inherently political in how it’s made, funded, and shared.” Her online presence appears to be more private regarding her personal life, instead showcasing her various illustrations and animations. Many of these artworks focus on social and political commentary. An [animation from May](https://www.instagram.com/ramaduwaji/reel/DJt4LWMui8t/ "undefined") depicts a young Palestinian girl holding a large empty pot with the words "Not a hunger crisis" emblazoned across it, before transitioning into a view from above of several people holding similarly empty vessels overlaid with text reading, "It is deliberate starvation." "As I was making this, Israel has been bombing Gaza nonstop with consecutive airstrikes," Duwaji wrote in a caption, sharing a link to the account of a nonprofit aimed at supporting refugees and displaced people. The post came amid Israel's weeks-long, near-total blockade of aid to Gaza.  Rama Duwaji looks at Mamdani as he speaks to reporters before casting his ballot in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens on June 19, 2025. Shuran Huang—The New York Times/Redux Mamdani has been similarly critical of Israel’s war in Gaza and [said he would authorize the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu](https://time.com/7304377/netanyahu-mamdani-policies-attack-arrest-warrant/ "undefined") if he visited the city. His opponents have accused him of antisemitism. “I’ve said at every opportunity that there is no room for antisemitism in this city, in this country. I’ve said that because that is something I personally believe,”[ Mamdani told reporters](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLD4lS%5FOYMB/ "undefined") in late June. --- [Duwaji shared an illustration](https://www.instagram.com/p/CrgMMgWOXQg/?img%5Findex=4&igsh=M3VoN3d1anBmcG52 "undefined") of a woman with text reading "Eyes on Sudan," followed by slides including information on the plight of Sudanese citizens impacted by the country's civil war and ways to donate to support refugees and domestic violence victims in April 2023. Her artwork speaks on a personal level, too. In 2023, she shared [an illustration](https://www.instagram.com/p/CqNyMXlMknf/?igsh=MXd3dnYzZTVwczdzaA== "undefined") depicting a mother, arms around her son as he holds a bouquet of yellow flowers, captioned: "Turning 26 is all fun and games until aunties start showing up at your doorstep with their sons lookin like." Two years later, Duwaji was holding a different bouquet on her way to get married. Photographer Kara McCurdy shared photos of Mamdani and Duwaji’s wedding day earlier this year. “I've known \[Mamdani\] was going to marry Rama for years, and I was there, at the city clerk's office with them when it happened. The three of us took the subway from Astoria to City Hall on a rainy day a few months back, and I got to celebrate two of my favorite people officially tying the knot,” [she said on her website](https://karamccurdy.com/nyc-city-hall-elopement-zohran-mamdani/ "undefined"). **Read More:** [_What to Know About Zohran Mamdani_](https://time.com/7296925/zohran-mamdani-nyc-mayoral-primary/ "undefined") Mamdani shared some of the photos [on his Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/DJj%5Fgq6R0sM/?igsh=dzc4M2c5NzAzd2Y%3D "undefined") in May, a few months after the ceremony. In his post, the New York state Assemblymember criticized online trolls for targeting Duwaji during his mayoral campaign. “Rama isn’t just my wife, she’s an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms. You can critique my views, but not my family,” he said. The photos show the couples journey from their home in Astoria, Queens, to City Hall in Manhattan. After the ceremony, the newlyweds wandered through New York, their first moments as a married couple captured on the subway and in the rain on the streets that Mamdani would be mayor of in just a few months' time. Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, focused heavily on affordability during his successful campaign, pledging that he will[ freeze rent](https://www.zohranfornyc.com/platform "undefined"), make [every city bus fare-free](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/12/nyregion/grocery-stores-city-owned.html "undefined"), and fight “[corporate exploitation](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pem255jxQEoWCN3Ic5ILZa2a9a4oDtqe/view "undefined").” Now, in light of his victory, all eyes are on Mamdani—and Duwaji—to see what their leadership of New York will look like. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7298063/rama-duwaji-zohran-mamdani-wife-nyc-mayoral-race/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7298063/rama-duwaji-zohran-mamdani-wife-nyc-mayoral-race/"},"headline":"Meet Rama Duwaji, the Illustrator Who Met Zohran Mamdani on Hinge—and Will Soon Become NYC's First Lady","datePublished":"2025-06-26T18:17:13.000Z","dateModified":"2025-11-05T21:29:30.000Z","description":"Just a few months ago, Duwaji was celebrating her marriage to Mamdani. 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