Calmly working atop scaffolding above the altar at St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Alewa Heights, Egyptian painter Sawsan Salib seems oblivious to the height as she puts final brushstrokes on Jesus’ Last Supper.
Not a speck of paint smudges her long black dress or the heavy silver pendant Salib is wearing as she smiles and answers questions through a translator about the soon-to-be-completed mural.
St. Mark’s Deacon Wagdy Guirguis jokes, "I have to give a lot of credit to Michel-ette-angelo," referring to Salib as his version of the Italian artist Michelangelo. He adds, "This is my Sistine Chapel approach."
Guirguis and other longtime church members hired the artist, also known as "Tasony (Sister) Sawsan," to transform the sanctuary into what he predicts will emerge as a showpiece that’s "most unique in the entire Coptic Church worldwide."
Icons on all four walls of the church will depict climactic events or people related to the life of Jesus, including his birth, miracles, crucifixion and resurrection.
The artist has been working on them for four years, completing 60 percent of mural sections in Egypt then bringing them to Hawaii to mount on walls. Three assistants help finish the sections with acrylic paint and touches of gold leaf.
A graduate of the prestigious School of Fine Arts at Alexandria University in Egypt, Salib has created artwork for churches throughout the world, including in California and New York.
Guirguis describes her style as "modern iconology."
Salib’s work at St. Mark’s is expected to be completed in time for the church’s Christmas Eve service, slated for Jan. 6.
Copts celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7. A night service, 7:30 to 11 p.m., follows ancient protocol. After the service a feast will be held, continuing well past midnight into Christmas Day.
Before celebrating Christmas, church members take part in a 43-day fast during which no meat or dairy products are consumed, Guirguis said. There’s also a complete fast — no food or drink — during the nine hours preceding Christmas Day.
After the Christmas Eve service wraps up, church members eat a special bread called "qurban," a symbol of the sacrificial lamb that was Jesus. Prepared at the church, the bread has the imprint of a cross at its center, which is surrounded by five dots — one for every wound made on Jesus’ body when he was crucified, Guirguis said.
The much-anticipated mural will be a highlight of this year’s Christmas celebration. Some of the 80 to 100 church members have made major donations to finance extensive renovations to the sanctuary and office buildings, formerly occupied by Grace Bible Church Honolulu. And Mike Gobran, head of MBC construction LLC, has worked night and day on the project for more than a year.
One section of the mural, situated behind the altar, depicts Jesus on his throne, flanked by 24 priests with crowns of gold, as described in the Book of Revelations, and surrounded by seven archangels. This section will be illuminated from the floor with blue lights, touching off a dazzling shine on the gold-leaf crowns.
The entire church will be painted in a range of muted tones of blue, creating an ethereal effect reminiscent of the blueness of Hawaii’s skies and ocean, Guirguis said. Even the pews will be blue.
The highlight of all the icons will be the triangular mural at the back of the church, focusing on Egypt’s significance in the Old and New Testament. It will feature almost a dozen of Salib’s paintings. They’ll depict scenes ranging from Mary and Joseph entering Egypt with the infant Jesus to Moses leading the Jews from slavery, chased by the Egyptian pharoahs.
The styles of art are a fusion of Roman-Byzantine, Coptic and ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, Guirguis said. "It’s very, very unusual."
Small bone relics of saints Thomas, Moses the Black, Theodore and perhaps a fourth saint will be placed at the foot of this mural.
Bishops from Egypt will bless the relics and church at an official unveiling of the icons on "antipascha," the Sunday after Easter Sunday.
