04/08/2026
La Belge is a unique interview series where we celebrate
Belgian women and their personal NY stories.
Throughout eclectic portraits, we create a common thread by asking each interviewee the same questions.
Today in La Belge:
Dominique de C**k 🖤
Artist
Location: Café Amrita
Since when do you live in New York?
I moved to the States in 1991, but I live in New York since 2009.
Before that, once a week I would commute from Long Island to New Jersey.
How did you end up in New York?
Arte -a Belgian wallpaper and fabric company, sent me here to design product lines for the American market. There were specific trends, and my job was to come up with trend boards, and color schemes. It was at a time when globalization was not that big yet.
In 2000, Arte wanted me back in Belgium, but my kids were in middle school and I didn’t want to uproot them a second time. I declined and started working for an American design house in Hackensack, New Jersey.
Once the nest was empty -in 2009, I decided to move to New York to be closer to New Jersey. The commute from Long Island had become too daunting.
What's your favorite spot in New York?
I have quite a few! And it also depends on the season.
One spot that I really love, is when you cross the George Washington Bridge. There is this exit leading to the Henry Hudson Parkway with a vista on both the NJ and NY shore. This sublime body of water that is sparkling in the sun, or all misty with rain,… it’s magical. Whenever I drove back from work, I often told myself: Henry Hudson must have seen this too, and he probably had that same feeling of grandiosity and beauty.
Another favorite spot is the little paved shore at the Harlem Meer. The view makes you feel you could be anywhere in the world -the Beijing Summer Palace, or the Vestingen in my hometown Ieper,… It’s a very special and privileged site for sure. Especially when you turn slightly and have the Fifth Avenue skyline in front of you.
Has your connection with the city evolved over the years?
Yes! The first year I moved to the city, I remember telling myself, “I’m actually here now!” And I really took it all in. I lived on Central Park West between 65th and 66th Street, sharing an apartment with a roommate. That same year, I became a member of Museum of Modern Art, where I regularly caught films. I worked out at YMCA, shopped at Century 21, and attended performances at Lincoln Center.
Living in the city felt so very different from commuting and traveling back at night.
In 2010, I moved to my actual apartment here in Harlem which I really made my home. I even have my ‘stamcafé’!
Would you ever consider moving to another neighborhood?
Sure. I love the Upper West Side. I enjoy walking down Broadway, all the way to Canal Street. it’s a very pleasant stroll.
I’m also drawn to the Lower East Side, Chelsea, and Tribeca for their vibrant art scenes.
Midtown, I try to avoid. If it wasn't for MoMA, I probably would never set foot there.
Are there any New York moments that stands out?
I have a few.
When I host Belgian guests, I recommend places to visit, and sometimes I’ll join them, like the 9/11 memorial pools. It's an extremely moving site. To me, the water symbolizes purification—like a eulogy for the people who lost their lives. I also see it as an encouragement to move on, with the sense that they are somewhere else now, free from all worries and struggles.
Another NY moment that I cherish, is when we practiced Tai Chi in the park during the pandemic. To be in nature and feel connected with the others was a beautiful experience.
Has the city influenced or shaped your personality?
For sure. Wherever you live, it’s going to shape your personality.
Living in New York has humbled me. As a white, privileged woman, the city’s diversity has been an eye-opener. If I had stayed in Belgium, I might have remained more attached to my own social circle. But here, I’ve been truly immersed in what real life looks like for everyone. That’s also why I love taking the subway: in just one car, you get a bite-sized sample of humanity. I find that amazing.
I would also say that, in my line of work, I’ve had to learn how to assert myself. So in a way -despite being an introvert, living in New York has helped me come out of my shell.
Do you consider yourself a New Yorker?
No, I see myself as a hybrid. I guess I’ve picked up some New York habits, like jaywalking, leaving my shoes at the door because the streets are so dirty, and walking with the flow. But I’ve also become more open, more tolerant… a different person, really. So even if part of me still wonders what it means to be a New Yorker, I know for sure that it’s my home.
If you only had 24 hours left in New York, is there something in particular you would do?
I would lock myself up in my bedroom and cry. So that's two hours down!
Then I would probably treat myself to a walk in the city with ’my go-to places’ as highlights.
During your time in New York, did you ever think: “I'm done.”
Sure. Whenever too many ambulances pass by my apartment, or when I’m exposed to things on the street that I’d rather not see, I sometimes think, ‘I’m done. This is too much for me.’ But I’m still here.
It’s all I know.
How do you unwind in the city?
I love to go watch the ice skaters.
And the Bethesda Fountain is also a favorite spot where I watch tourists taking their selfies, or listen to the band playing. There is always something fun to watch! To tell you the truth, I guess I like observing people. New York offers plenty of opportunity to just do that.
What strikes you most when you go back to Belgium?
I think Belgians are more conscious about climate change and act upon it. They adapt their lifestyles. Here… It’s a different story. And the same thing goes for waste.
In Belgium, people also seem happier with what they have. And I don’t mean ‘happier’ in a way that they're absolutely satisfied with their lives. But they are less materialistic.
The Belgians I know are also hardworking and welcoming. and, as I said, very environmentally conscious.
Is that also what strikes you when you come back to NY?
Absolutely. Sometimes the city looks like a dump. People just throw their garbage on the ground.
Another thing I notice is that everybody always seems to be in a hurry. And compared to Belgians -let’s be honest, New Yorkers do like to show off.
Are there particular things that you bring back from Belgium?
I sometimes bring back clothes, and a few heirlooms, too, like the letters my mother exchanged with her two sisters between the wars. I’m very fond of them.
What's the first thing you do when you are in Belgium?
I usually stay with a friend on Avenue Albert where I take the tram to Churchill direction Avenue Louise. My last stop is Place Stephanie from where I walk to Porte de Namur, down to Place Royal, all the way downtown, to La Bourse.
I love being in the heart of the city.
How do you describe Belgium to a New Yorker?
Belgium has uniquely absorbed the cultures of its larger neighboring countries: The German pragmatism, the Latin eloquence… Someone who’s smart enough to benefit from both is ready for the world, right? It makes you a winner. And of course we also have the best food in the world.
I'm also very grateful for the education I received in Belgium. And I thank God my children spent their summers in Belgium with their cousins.
I did worry about my kids’ education in high school, because it’s such an important time for personal development.
Subjects like history and literature, are lacking in the U.S. system, but to me, they are foundational.
Eventually, my children ventured out to Europe where they worked and studied for several years. I’m very happy they took that opportunity.
Does Belgium feel different compared to when you lived there?
It feels different because I changed and I have a different perception of things. When I return to Brussels, I have the feeling that it's more crowded, and that there is more traffic.
Some neighborhoods used to be really beautiful and prestigious, but they are not anymore.
Brussels lost some of its glow, I think. Take Place Sainte-Catherine, for instance: it’s just one restaurant after another, all serving the same dishes. Nothing against mussels and fries, of course, but there’s less authenticity, less personality. Of course, I used to observe Brussels with younger eyes... But still.
My hometown Ypres also changed tremendously. And Bruges where I studied for four years, feels like Disney World.
I guess I’ve lost that homy feeling, whatever that word means. I still go back with great pleasure though. But I also return to NY with great pleasure.
When do you feel Belgian?
The U.S. has been my home for a very long time, and I have American citizenship, but I still feel Belgian. I’m still an outsider looking at things. Funnily though, when I’m in Belgium, I feel American.
So eventually, I think I will become schizophrenic (laughs).
Honestly though -and I know it’s an ambitious goal and I still need to grow towards it, I would love to be a citizen of the world.
What inspires you?
The art of other artists -in all forms. Whether it’s a performance, or what I see at a gallery, … It’s really the work of other creators.
In NY, the cultural landscape is boiling. You never get bored one second. There's always something to see, something to look at… Even when you walk the streets -you will cross a fantastic mural, or somebody dressed in a very inventive, creative way. Those moments always inspire me.
Art is the heart of life. Creativity is the heart of life. So even if I'm not in a mood to make something myself, at least it gives me hope for humanity, so to speak.
What's the best piece of advice you ever got?
One of my uncles once told me to specialize in something.
“You know, if you want to be successful in life and be independent, you need to find a niche.” And that’s what I did. I had 44 years of career in wallpaper and fabric. And it allowed me to raise a family and live my life.
It was such great advice.
Which talent do you wish you had?
There are so many!
I wish I had the talent to be a great stand-up comedian. Do you know Yolande Moreau? I was lucky to see her perform in the early eighties at La Soupape in Brussels, where she did her famous sketch ‘Une Sale Affaire’.
Moreau built most of her career in France, but started at the cabaret in Brussels. Her performance was truly magical. She wore this self-made mask, and her hands were tinted in blood because she had just killed her former lover.
And I remember her thick Belgian accent... “J’ai tué mon amant.” At some point, she scanned the audience for a new lover. When her empty eyes finally rested on her next victim, the guy looked absolutely terrified!
It was the most delightful surrealistic sketch I have ever seen.
To be able to perform like that as an artist, I find it magical.
If you had to pick one Belgian to spend the day with, who would you choose?
Yolande Moreau! Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. But also Dries Van Noten… or Christian Dercon. He's a curator and former performer. He did his training in Leiden, and worked for the most prestigious art institutes like Tate Gallery in London, MoMA PS 1, Haus der Kunst in Munich,… Currently, he is the director of Fondation Cartier.
I read an interview with him not that long ago, and his viewpoint on art really resonates with mine.
Thank you Dominique!
Dominique de Ce
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