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 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 Queens in front of a roaring crowd. Her husband took her hand and kissed it, thanking her as he declared himself the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City.
Mamdani, whose upset of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the primary has sent shockwaves through the state’s political establishment, could become the first New York City Mayor in history to have met his wife on Hinge. Now in the spotlight, this is who Rama Duwaji is.
The 27-year-old was born in Texas to a Syrian family and her roots remain at the core of her work. Duwaji is an illustrator and animation artist, exploring and celebrating female experiences through her art, from the seemingly mundane of reading and playing music to women “rising against tyranny” and unsolved murders in Yemen.
Duwaji also created illustrations highlighting the experience of Reem Ahmed, 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 “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 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.
Mamdani has been similarly critical of Israel’s war in Gaza and said he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited the city. His opponents have accused him 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 last week.
In April 2023, Duwaji shared an illustration 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.
Her artwork speaks on a personal level, too. In 2023, she shared an illustration 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 and friend of the recently wed couple 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.
Read more: What to Know About New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani
Mamdani shared some of the photos on his Instagram 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 could be Mayor of in just a few months’ time.
On the day of the primary election, as voters headed to the polls, Duwaji shared an Instagram post captioned: “Couldn’t possibly be prouder,” including photos of the couple, a voter-registration form, and a photo of a young Mamdani.
After declaring victory in the primary, her husband will now look toward the upcoming general election, in which he will face candidates including current Mayor Eric Adams, who is mounting an independent run.
Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, has focused heavily on affordability during his campaign, pledging that he will freeze rent, make every city bus fare-free, and fight “corporate exploitation.”
Democrats have won the city’s last three mayoral elections, making it likely that he’ll go on to claim victory again in November—and that Duwaji will become the city’s next first lady.
The post Meet Rama Duwaji, the Illustrator Who Met Zohran Mamdani on Hinge—and May Become NYC’s First Lady appeared first on TIME.
