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When? Zohran Mamdani achieved its historic victory As new york city mayorhe was given a special sign to his Wife, Ram Duvaji, during his victory speech.
“For my incredible WifeRam A, urgent,he said, using the Arabic word for “my life.” “There is no one I would rather have with me in this moment, every moment.”
Since the couple’s wedding in February this year, she has quietly accompanied him throughout the campaign. While some have criticized him for playing a supporting role husband’s In the campaign, Mamdani has made it clear that Duwaji is not just his Wife“She’s an incredible artist who deserves to be recognized on her own terms.”
The Syrian-American artist has been vocal through her art on issues ranging from politics, the Middle East to immigration issues such as ICE.
The two met after connecting on Hinge
Born in Houston, Texas in 1997, Duwaji’s family moved to Dubai when she was nine, and she was raised in the Persian Gulf. She later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2019 and then went on to new york city To pursue a career in art in 2021.
That same year, she met Mamdani, then a little-known member of the state assembly, on the dating app Hinge. “So there’s still hope for those dating apps,” Mamdani joked in an interview. bulwark In June.
Last year, Duvaji graduated from New York’s School of Visual Arts with a Master of Fine Arts degree in illustration as visual essay. The couple announced their engagement in an Instagram post last October, which the politician captioned, “Light of my life.”
The couple married in February at a Manhattan marriage bureau, before traveling to Uganda for another ceremony in July, where Mamdani was born. the new York Times.
His growing art career
Since graduating from the School of Visual Arts last year, Duvaji has been credited for illustration The New Yorker, The Washington Post, And circulationHe has also worked with notable clients like Apple, Spotify, And Tate Modern. Duwaji uses digital mediums, but also enjoys making handmade ceramics. The new first lady of the Big Apple taught workshops on both illustration and animation.
The politics behind his art
While Duwaji can often be found at his HusbandOn his part, he has faced criticism for his calm presence. Mamdani hit back at his wife’s critics by sharing photos from their wedding on social media in May.
He said, “If you look at Twitter today or any day you know how vicious politics can be. I usually ignore it, whether it’s death threats or calls to deport me. But when it’s about people you love it’s different.” “Three months ago, I married the love of my life, Rama, in the City Clerk’s office. Now, right-wing trolls are trying to make this race — which should be about you — about her.
“Rama is not just my wife, she is an incredible artist who deserves to be recognized on her own terms. You can criticize my views, but not my family’s.”
However, he has not given much speeches in his support HusbandHe has made it clear that he is with them politically.
In April, he shared a post titled “Art in a Time of Crisis”, where he discussed his belief that “art is inherently political in the way it is made, funded and shared.”
She also appears to share Mamdani’s sympathy for the Palestinian plight amid Israel’s war on Gaza. In May, he created an animation of a young Palestinian girl holding a large empty jar with the words “No Hunger Crisis” written on it.
It then changed to a scene from above showing several people holding identical empty vessels with the text, “This is deliberate hunger.”
She captioned the animation: “While I was making this, Israel is continuously bombarding Gaza with airstrikes. Keep your eyes on Gaza and support.”
He also criticized ICE while expressing support for activist Mahmoud Khalil after his arrest in March. He created an illustration of the activist in March, captioning it: “Saturday night, Palestinian-Algerian activist Mahmoud Khalil was snatched by ICE from his Columbia-owned apartment in NYC without notice. This is an attack on free speech, and sets a scary precedent for anyone who speaks out for what is right. Resist.”