Rama Duwaji Biography: Husband, Age, Career, Net Worth, Height, Parents, Art, Instagram

Rama Sawaf Duwaji is famously known as Rama Duwaji is a Syrian-American illustrator, animator, and ceramicist whose evocative artwork explores themes of sisterhood, identity, and social justice, particularly focused on Middle Eastern culture and women’s rights.

Based in Brooklyn, New York, she has gained recognition for her collaborations with major outlets like The New Yorker and The Washington Post, and her marriage to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has elevated her public profile.

Profile

• Full Name: Rama Sawaf Duwaji
• Stage Name: Rama Duwaji
• Born: June 30, 1997
• Age: 28 years old
• Birthplace: Houston, Texas, USA
• Nationality: American
• Occupation: Illustrator, Animator, Ceramicist
• Height: Unknown
• Parents: Unknown
• Siblings: Unknown
• Spouse: Zohran Mamdani (m. 2025)
• Children: None
• Relationship: Married
• Net Worth: $200,000 to $400,000 USD

Early Life and Education

Rama Duwaji was born on June 30, 1997, in Houston, Texas, to Syrian parents, immersing her in a rich Arab cultural heritage despite her American upbringing.

Rama pursued formal education in the arts, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Communication Design from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Doha campus, in 2019, graduating cum laude. She further honed her skills with a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City in 2024, refining her ability to weave social justice themes into her visual storytelling.

Career

Rama Duwaji’s career centers on illustration, animation, and ceramics, characterized by hand-drawn textures, muted palettes, and symbolic imagery that explore womanhood, mental health, diaspora, and political resistance. Her work has been featured in prominent publications and platforms, including The New Yorker, The Washington Post, BBC, Apple, Spotify, VICE, Cartier, and the Tate Modern.

She contributed illustrations to the 2025 Restless Classics edition of The 1,001 Nights and the 2022 BBC World Service documentary “Who Killed My Grandfather,” investigating a 1974 Yemeni politician’s assassination. Her art often depicts women of color in healing spaces, challenging Western beauty standards, and addresses issues like Palestinian solidarity and the Sudanese Civil War.

Rama has exhibited at galleries like P21 Gallery (London) and SVA’s Chelsea Gallery (New York) and participated in residencies, including Beirut’s Haven for Artists. Beyond digital art, she creates hand-built ceramics, particularly blue-and-white illustrated plates, and teaches workshops with organizations like It’s Nice That (2021) and Tasmeem Design Biennial. In 2025, she continued commissions, hosted workshops, and engaged in group exhibitions, balancing her Brooklyn studio practice with mentoring emerging illustrators.

Social Media

• Instagram Handle: @ramaduwaji

Personal Life

Rama Duwaji, a 28-year-old artist, married Zohran Mamdani, a New York State Assembly member and Democratic mayoral candidate, in a civil ceremony at New York City Hall in February 2025, following a private nikah (Islamic wedding) and engagement in Dubai in December 2024. The couple met on the dating app Hinge around 2022, bonding over shared interests in music and art.

Their modern, multicultural love story, including wedding photos taken on the NYC subway, has captured public attention. Rama identifies as Muslim and is ethnically Syrian, with her faith and heritage shaping her art’s focus on social justice, including women’s rights and Middle Eastern issues. She spent the COVID-19 pandemic with her family in Dubai before moving to New York in 2021.

Currently residing in Astoria, Queens, with Mamdani, she maintains a private personal life, focusing on her art and advocacy for marginalized voices. She is inspired by figures like Greta Thunberg for climate activism, Lauren Ash for mental health advocacy, and illustrator Ashley Lukashevsky.

Net Worth

Rama Duwaji’s estimated net worth is $200,000 to $400,000 USD, derived from art sales, freelance illustration, brand collaborations (Apple, Spotify, Cartier), teaching workshops, and sales of ceramics and prints. Her niche reputation and high-profile clients contribute to a stable creative livelihood, though she prioritizes cultural impact over commercial gain.