A new group exhibition will open at Kiama’s SEVENMARKS gallery on Saturday (13 December), exploring the boundaries that shape belief, identity and expression.

Featuring nine artists - including three of SEVENMARKS’ four directors, Cesar Cueva, Chick Butcher and Cobi Cockburn - the exhibition is titled Crossing the Line.

“The concept emerged quite seamlessly, because the idea of the ‘line’, both as a visual element and a philosophical proposition, is something I return to constantly in my own practice,” said SEVENMARKS artist and director Cobi Cockburn.

“I’ve always felt that a line holds potential: it can be a boundary or an invitation, a point of tension or a moment of transformation.

"Whether in the precision of geometric abstraction, the resonance of the cross, the shifting landscape, or the subtle edge of a subject about to change, the line becomes a site where meaning accumulates.”

Cobi’s own piece in the exhibition comes from a personal earlier body of work, The Sound of Black and White, which explores that moment of realisation when a boundary has been crossed.

“This work examines the internal, unmistakable sensation of ‘crossing the line’ - that silent, potent moment of recognition when we know, privately and undeniably, that we’ve stepped beyond a boundary,” she said.

“Rather than addressing this literally, I abstracted the idea through rhythm and compression. By narrowing and tightening the line, I aimed to echo the acceleration of feeling, the rise in intensity and the sharpening of awareness that accompany that shift.”

The universality of this idea, Cobi explains, made it ideal for a group exhibition.

“We all give ourselves boundaries that shape our identity, and there are so many ways to explore this. When shaping a group exhibition, it’s important to begin with a framework that doesn’t confine the artists but instead opens a shared territory of inquiry,” she said.

“In this case, the notion of boundaries - how they’re formed, challenged, dissolved or reimagined - felt deeply worth exploring.”

From there, Cobi and her fellow SEVENMARKS directors present the theme to their community of artists before curating the works that best align with it.

“Curating requires the sensitivity to recognise when a theme and an artist truly align, and when they don’t. It’s also about identifying themes that resonate with the strengths and ongoing inquiries within our artist community,” she said.

“For this exhibition, the ideas of boundaries and thresholds created both strong connections and compelling contrasts across the group. Some artists approached the theme visually, others conceptually; some dissolved the line entirely, while others held it firmly in place. Together, these differences generated a rich dialogue.”

Cobi hopes the exhibition encourages collaboration and conversation - not just between artists, but between viewers themselves.

“This mix naturally invites questions. The conversations that emerge depend entirely on how much time a viewer spends with the work, what they notice, what they interpret, and what they bring of themselves to the encounter,” she said.

“My aim wasn’t to guide visitors toward a single reading, but to create a space where curiosity, ambiguity and personal discovery can unfold.”

One of the pieces in SEVENMARKS' new exhibition. Photo: SEVENMARKS

As for her own contribution, Cobi hopes viewers will reflect on how they sense or set their own boundaries.

“I hope it’s an intimate call toward recognising the moment of crossing the line,” she said.

Crossing the Line runs from 13 December to 31 January, with an opening night event from 5–7pm on 13 December. Attendance is free, with registration available on Eventbrite.

The participating artists are: Cesar Cueva, Chick Butcher, Cobi Cockburn, Emma-Kate Hart, Gabrielle Adamik, Isobel Rayson, Jaz Corr, Kirli Saunders and Philip Spelman.