Tess is a Brooklyn based painter. She works with oil paints and wishes to explore her obsession with material and how it relates to gesture. Most known for her depictions of flowers in all forms, she also draws inspiration from 18th century decorative patterns, textiles, and animal imagery. Michalik constantly ruminates over Gericault, Toko Shinoda, Joan Mitchell, Claude Monet.
After graduating from Herron School of Art with a BFA and a Minor in Art History and achieving her MFA at Northern Illinois University, she went on to exhibit across the United States and internationally. Her recent shows have included Kathryn Markel Fine Arts (NYC), Indiana State Museum, WAG-Qaumajuq (Manitoba, Canada), and The Schoolhouse Gallery (Provincetown). Her first solo exhibited in NYC was held in April 2026 at Kathryn Markel Fine Arts. Michalik is represented by The Schoolhouse Gallery in Provincetown, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. In addition to professional painting Michalik is the Painting Department Manager of Production at Boxart, Inc. since 2020.