On Jan. 24, the artist will present a slide show of his art and his ceramic techniques in the Barnes Electronic Classroom in Hewes Library, followed by a reception in the gallery at 3 p.m. The slide show, the reception and the exhibit are all free and open to the public.

Yuh, an assistant professor of art at Western Illinois University since 2000, is a first-generation Korean-American. He says his ceramic work "explores the universal themes of life, death, birth and nature that transcend cultures," adding that he has started to see the themes in a different light through his daughter's birth. "I think I know now that everything can have both universal and personal meanings. Making art may be a quest in search of broad meanings for answers, but it may be expressed through the small, mundane awareness of daily life."

Yuh received a BFA degree from Hong Ik University in Seoul, Korea, and an MFA degree from New York State College of Ceramics in Alfred, N.Y. He has also served as a visiting artist at Kent State University and at California State University in Long Beach.

In August of 2001, the internationally respected sculptor returned to his homeland as an invited artist at the World Ceramic Exposition 2001 Korea (WOCEK). The invitation was based on his bronze medal award in the WOCEK international competition. He also received an excellence prize at the Seoul Contemporary Ceramic Competition in 2000.

Yuh's sculptures are part of numerous prestigious collections, including the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution; the International Museum of Ceramic Art in Alfred, N.Y.; the Contemporary Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii; and the JINRO Cultural Center in Seoul, Korea.

The Everett Gallery is open during regular library hours: Sundays, 1 p.m. to midnight; Mondays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to midnight; Fridays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.