Olga Alexandrovna Matukova is an artist from Nizhny Tagil who specializes in lacquer painting on metal. Her creative journey began in 1984. After graduating from the Ural School of Applied Arts, she joined the tray painting workshop at the Emalposuda (Enamelware) factory.

The young artist’s talent was immediately recognized, and she was invited to join the creative group. She was tasked with creating new floral, fruit, and berry designs. From that moment on, she has focused on painting flower compositions quickly in a single layer, using the two-color brushstroke technique.

In 1989, the artist began to participate in exhibitions and competitions in Nizhny Tagil and other cities. After the Emalposuda factory was shut down in 1992, she continued her work at the Metal Shop enterprise. In 2017, Olga Matukova decided to become a freelance artist. She continues to work on preserving and developing tray painting art. She has regularly attended regional fairs, conferences, exhibitions, and folk art festivals. She has also received many awards for her professional achievements, workshop sessions, and demonstrations.

Olga Matukova designed the figured tray “The Little Scarlet Flower” in 1993. The exhibit belongs to the early period of her artistic work, which is characterized by an unusual painting style. The flowers, such as peonies, orchids, chrysanthemums, and dahlias, were painted not with a single brushstroke but with a series of small two-color strokes. The artist created many layers of such brushstrokes, achieving a realistic look. Her single-layer decorative painting of that period was similar to the multi-layer technique while staying in line with the traditions.

“The Little Scarlet Flower” presents a magnificent bouquet of three large flowers surrounded by greenery and smaller flowers. The artist used her favorite warm color palette. The rich yellow and pink flowers create a beautiful contrast with the green rim of the tray. In decorating the sides of the tray, the artist departed from tradition and painted small forget-me-not bouquets. She also moved the golden brushwork ornamentation to the edge of the tray.