When the legendary landscape paintings of late Australian artist John Olsen light up the sails of the Sydney Opera House for Vivid Festival, his family will gather for a multi-course dinner at harbourside restaurant Ploós.

John had signed on to celebrate the landmark animated projection of Life Enlivened from the restaurant’s Rocks vantage point just two weeks before he died on April 11, aged 95.

Son and gallerist Tim Olsen organised the dinner, mindful John had “always loved the idea of how art and food could come together as an overall sensory experience”.

“[I wanted] to bring dad in to watch the Opera House light up over a beautiful meal, [as that was] something he enjoyed doing his whole life.”

“He believed that art should look as delicious as food, and he liked the idea that sometimes his art looked edible.”

Tim Olsen

While John was best known for his vibrant aerial depictions of the Australian landscape, he was also a keen cook who cut his teeth in the kitchens of Ibiza and Deia in Spain.

Mediterranean cuisine was John’s speciality and he “dominated the kitchen” at his Watson’s Bay home, where he’d cook paella for celebrity friends Barry Humphries and Sidney Nolan.

“He believed that art should look as delicious as food, and he liked the idea that sometimes his art looked edible,” Tim says.

“I really miss his cooking.”

In his father’s absence, the family made the difficult decision to push ahead with the dinner. Tim says it’s an opportunity for friends, family and fans alike to celebrate John and his achievements, with “great conversation, great speeches and a visual phantasmagoria of colour”.

Chairman of Destination NSW, Sally Loane, will be conducting an intimate Q&A with Tim and John’s daughter Louise Olsen during the event.

“This isn’t a tragedy, it’s a celebration,” Tim says, describing how proud John felt when watching his landscapes come to lifein a smaller-scale animation of the VIVID display, sent by collaborators Curiious.

“Even though he had lost his ability to speak, he had tears rolling down his face. For him, it was a wonderful display.”

Ploós head chef Peter Conistis says adapting the shared, feasting menu to pay homage to John has been an honour. The menu will feature regional Greek dishes such as lamb shank boureki with sour cherries and herbs and kataifi tart with whipped feta and candied eggplant.

“There’ll be lots of mezze grazing as I was told that was John’s favourite way of eating,” Conistis says.

The chef incorporated some of John’s favourites, like taramasalata and bougatsa (a type of custard pastry), into the menu. Particular care will be taken with the plating of the dishes to pay a subtle homage to John’s joyously colourful aesthetic.

“He was an absolute icon,” Conistis says.

“I want to pay my respects and say thank you for what you’ve given the world.”

The John Olsen dinner at Ploós will be held Wed, May 31 6-10pm; ploos.com.au