Copyright yahoo
When Zohran Mamdani made his historic win as New York City mayor, he gave a special nod to his wife, Rama Duwaji, during his victory speech. “To my incredible wife, Rama, hayati,” he said, using the Arabic word for “my life.” “There is no one I would rather have by my side in this moment, and in every moment.” She has been by his side quietly throughout his campaign, after the couple got married in February this year. While some have criticized her for playing a supporting role in her husband’s campaign, Mamdani has made it clear that Duwaji isn’t just his wife; “She’s an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms.” The Syrian-American artist has been outspoken through her art about politics, ranging from the Middle East to immigration issues, such as those related to ICE. The couple met after connecting on Hinge Born in Houston, Texas, in 1997, Duwaji grew up in the Persian Gulf after her family moved to Dubai when she was nine. She later graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, and then moved to New York City in 2021 to pursue a career in art. It was that same year she matched with Mamdani, a little-known state assemblyman at the time, on the dating app Hinge. “So there is still hope in those dating apps,” Mamdani joked in an interview for The Bulwark in June. Last year, Duwaji graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York with a master of Fine Arts in illustration as a visual essay. The couple announced their engagement last October in an Instagram post, which the politician captioned, “Light of my life.” The couple married in February at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau before going to Uganda, where Mamdani was born, for another ceremony in July, according to The New York Times. Her burgeoning art career Since graduating from the School of Visual Arts last year, Duwaji has been credited for illustrations in The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and Vogue. She has also worked with notable clients such as Apple, Spotify, and the Tate Modern. Duwaji tends to use the digital medium, but she also enjoys creating handmade ceramics. The Big Apple’s new first lady also used to teach workshops on both illustration and animation. The politics behind her art While Duwaji can often be found at her husband’s side, she’s faced criticism for her quiet presence. Mamdani hit back at critics of his wife in May, sharing photos of their wedding on social media. “If you take a look at Twitter today, or any day for that matter, you know how vicious politics can be. I usually brush it off, whether it’s death threats or calls for me to be deported. But it’s different when it’s about those you love,” he said. “Three months ago, I married the love of my life, Rama, at the City Clerk’s office. Now, right-wing trolls are trying to make this race – which should be about you – about her. “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.” However, while she has not made many speeches in support of her husband, she has made it clear that she aligns with him politically. In April, she shared a post titled “Art in times of crisis”, where she discussed her belief that “Art is inherently political in how it’s made, funded, and shared.” She also appears to share Mamdani’s sympathy for the Palestinian plight in the midst of Israel’s war on Gaza. In May, she created an animation of a young Palestinian girl holding a large empty pot with the words “Not a hunger crisis” emblazoned across it. It then transitioned into a view from above of several people holding similarly empty vessels overlaid with text reading, “It is deliberate starvation.” She captioned the animation: “As I was making this, Israel has been bombing Gaza nonstop with consecutive airstrikes. Keep your eyes on Gaza and support”. She’s also criticised ICE, expressing support for activist Mahmoud Khalil following his arrest in March. She created an illustration of the activist in March, captioning it: “On Saturday night, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian-Algerian activist, was snatched by ICE from his Columbia-owned apartment in NYC without notice. This is an attack on freedom of speech, and sets a scary f**king precedent for anyone who speaks up for what’s right. Resist.”
