Peter Cheung’s Against the Storm depicts two sailboats caught beneath an immense, turbulent sky, creating a dramatic contrast between the vulnerability of the vessels and the force of the approaching weather.

The composition is dominated by sweeping masses of dark violet, charcoal, olive, and blue-grey clouds that seem to surge inward from both sides. Near the centre, a break in the storm reveals a luminous area of cream and pale yellow, while streaks of turquoise and blue higher in the sky suggest fleeting openings in the cloud cover. The sky’s energetic brushwork gives the entire scene a sense of motion and instability.

Below, the water shifts between deep indigo, violet, green, and flashes of yellow-green light. Broad, broken strokes suggest choppy waves and reflected light. The two white sailboats are positioned near the lower centre, their pale hulls standing out sharply against the darker sea. The left boat carries a vivid red-orange sail or cover, providing the strongest colour accent in the composition.

Cheung emphasizes atmosphere rather than precise nautical detail. The boats appear small beneath the towering storm clouds, reinforcing the sense of exposure and tension suggested by the title. At the same time, the bright band of light along the horizon introduces a sense of hope or passage through the storm.

Against the Storm is a powerful maritime scene in which dramatic colour, vigorous brushwork, and contrasting light convey both the danger of changing weather and the resilience of the boats moving through it.