At 6 pm sharp on every night of this year’s Vivid Sydney, the late Australian artist John Olsen’s vibrant paintings of the natural world will illuminate the Sydney Opera House sails.

Before his death on Easter Saturday at 95 years old, Olsen had been proud and excited about the planned project in which his works depicting Australian nature and landscapes would adorn the iconic sails. Titled “Lighting of the Sails: Life Enlivened”, the visual spectacle is curated by Dr. Deborah Hart and animated by creative technologists from Curiious.  

Just a few days after the late visual artist and painter’s State Memorial Service in Sydney, his children Tim and Louise Olsen, and beloved grandchildren James and Camille gathered with family, friends and Olsen enthusiasts to watch his works animate the iconic building – a fitting canvas.

At the intimate setting catered by chef Peter Conistis at his harbourside Ploos restaurant, stories abounded about Olsen’s unique life – from his love of Mediterranean food after living in the Balearic Islands and Portugal in the 1960s, to family adventures at Camps Bay on Sydney Harbour.

“Lighting the Sails 2023 is uncanny timing,” Tim reflected. “It is an ode to John. It really was his way to sign off.”

Tim, an art gallery owner, talked movingly about his father’s work and personal life while requesting guests use the toast his father insisted on offering at family dinners, referencing his favourite poem from poet Kenneth Slessor – “Five Bells”.

Daughter Louise, an artist and co-designer of Dinosaur Designs, described Olsen’s last years and the touching times spent together around the kitchen table at his Southern Highlands home.

“He always had a sketchbook at the kitchen table. It was like an art school. Even at 95 Dad was still like a big kid. He never lost his inner child,” she remembered.

Musician William Barton, a proud Kalkadunga man, singer and performer of the didgeridoo who’d played at Olsen’s funeral earlier in the week, gave an emotional tribute to the great artist whose career spanned 60 years winning the Wynne Prize, the Sir John Sulman Prize, and the 2005 Archibald Prize.

“Now Uncle John is up there painting those big dreaming stories too with those elders of our landscape and our mother country,” declared William.

Among the guests were VIVID Sydney Festival Director, Gill Minervini; Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox and Chair Sally Loane; Michael Do, Curator of Contemporary Art at Sydney Opera House and Fabio Nardo, Creative Director of Curiious– all of whom collaborated to bring to life the VIVID Sydney Olsen Opera House activation. Journalist and Broadcaster Lisa Wilkinson was also among the 70 attending guests.