NEW YORK (AP) — Rama Duwaji’s Election Day post on Instagram was only four words long, but said all it needed to say: “couldn’t possibly be prouder.”
It was accompanied by a photo-booth strip of happy poses with her husband, Zohran Mamdani, and a voting selfie that would presage a momentous night: The 33-year-old state assemblyman would stun the political world — and opponent Andrew Cuomo — with his success in the race for the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor.
While the ultimate outcome has yet to be confirmed by a ranked choice count, many across the country woke up Wednesday eager to learn more both about Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist who’s now poised to be the nominee, and also about Duwaji, an animator and illustrator. Mamdani kissed her hand during his victory speech to supporters, thanking “my incredible wife.”
Duwaji was not a public presence during much of the campaign, but is active on social media through her work. In her art career, Duwaji has worked with The New Yorker, The Washington Post, the BBC, Apple, Spotify, VICE and the Tate Modern museum in London, among others, according to her website. “Using drawn portraiture and movement, Rama examines the nuances of sisterhood and communal experiences,” it says.
Duwaji, 27, who is ethnically Syrian and was born in Houston, Texas, also enjoys taking a break from her tech-based art to create her own ceramics, particularly illustrated plates in blue and white.
And there’s one very contemporary (and much-mentioned) fact that’s emerged about the couple: They met on Hinge, the dating app. “I met my wife on Hinge so there is still hope in those dating apps,” Mamdani said, laughing, on a recent episode of The Bulwark podcast.
About six weeks ago the candidate posted a romantic set of photos showing the couple on their wedding day at the city clerk’s office earlier this year. The lead photo was a black-and-white shot on the New York subway, specifically at Union Square in Manhattan. The smiling couple held onto a pole, Duwaji dressed in a white dress and black boots and holding a bouquet, as other riders minded their own business.
In the accompanying text, Mamdani referred to online harassment the couple had experienced.
“If you take a look at Twitter today, or any day for that matter, you know how vicious politics can be,” he wrote. “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. 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,” Mamdani added. “She’s an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms. You can critique my views, but not my family.”
Duwaji, in the comments, responded with humor: “omg she’s real.”
In an April interview on art and activism, Duwaji was asked if artists had a responsibility to speak out about global issues.
“I’ll always quote Nina Simone: ‘An artist’s duty as far as I’m concerned is to reflect the times,’” she said.
“I believe everyone has a responsibility to speak out against injustice,” she added, “and art has such an ability to spread it. I don’t think everybody has to make political work, but art is inherently political in how it’s made, funded, and shared. Even creating art as a refuge from the horrors we see is political to me. It’s a reaction to the world around us.”
On Election Day, Duwaji’s mother-in-law, filmmaker Mira Nair, posted a message to her daughter-in-law about art and its importance.
“Darling DIL — Art will flourish in our city in the new day,” Nair wrote, adding a heart emoji.
