A mixed-media portrait of Blessed Damien de Veuster, created by local artist Peggy Chun with the help of Hawaii Catholic grade school students and an artist from Poland, was unveiled at the State Capitol on the afternoon of March 14.

“The Damien,” shown at left, is an 8 feet by 4 feet image that combines painting and mosaic pieces. Chun, who has ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is completely paralyzed except for her eyes and uses a letter board to communicate.

Eighteen months ago, she started directing students at Holy Trinity School in Kuliouou to paint quarter-inch paper squares with different watercolor “formulas.” Last fall, Holy Trinity teacher Shelly Mecum flew Polish artist Magdalena Hawajska to Hawaii to help complete the project using Chun’s vision.

The students’ 50,000 squares make up most of the sky and sun in the portrait and the Kalaupapa coast is visible in the background.

As part of the March 14 unveiling events at the capitol, the State Senate honored Chun, Hawajska and the entire Holy Trinity student body with a presentation on the senate floor.