The Storm

Story Behind the Art

Inspired by the Book of Jonah (Yonah), one of the most enduring stories of the Hebrew Bible, The Storm explores the moments when we find ourselves caught in forces beyond our control.

Called by G-d to deliver a message to the people of Nineveh, Jonah instead attempts to flee by sea, believing he can escape his divine purpose. A great storm follows, and Jonah is cast into the depths before being swallowed by a דָּג גָּדוֹל — “great fish”.

The composition moves through three layers. Above, Jonah’s ship is barely visible amongst the gathering waves as the storm takes hold. At the centre, Jonah falls through the water, suspended between resistance and surrender. Below, hidden in the darkness of the deep, the great fish waits.

Passages from the Book of Jonah are woven throughout the painting in Hebrew, appearing and disappearing amongst the layers of paint. Like the story itself, they invite the viewer to look beneath the surface and discover what lies within the storm.

The crashing waves, shifting depths and changing light reflect the uncertainty that can accompany fear, change and transition. Jonah’s struggle is not simply with the storm around him, but with what he is trying to escape within himself. His journey asks whether there are some truths we cannot outrun, and whether the things we resist may ultimately lead us towards where we are meant to be.

The Book of Jonah is traditionally read as the Haftarah during the afternoon service of Yom Kippur, a day centred on reflection, repentance and the possibility of change. Jonah’s storm therefore carries a deeper resonance: it becomes part of a journey in which he is forced to confront what he has been running from.

The name Yonah means “dove”, traditionally a symbol of peace. Yet the dove at the centre of this storm is surrounded by darkness and turbulence - a reminder that peace does not always mean the absence of struggle. Sometimes it is found within it.

The Storm reflects the tension between fear and faith, resistance and surrender, uncertainty and trust. Jonah’s storm may be his own, but it is also recognisable as ours. Perhaps the storms we face are not simply something to escape, but something through which we are changed.