DRESSED TO KILN!
Multi-tasking model hopes to win TV pottery contest
SHE’S a model contestant for the Great Pottery Throw Down in more ways than one.
For Shenyue Ding not only has her own ceramics business, but also a sideline modelling designer clothes.
And her talents don’t end there. She has a degree in natural sciences from Cambridge and used to work as a scientific consultant before becoming a full-time potter.
Ms Ding, who was born in China and brought up in Manchester, is among 12 contestants on the fourth series of The Great Pottery Throw Down, which started last night on Channel 4.
Derry Girls star Siobhán McSweeney is the new host, with judges Keith Brymer Jones and Rich Miller returning.
The Cork-born actress, who plays Sister Michael in the hit Channel 4 comedy, was announced as the new host last November.
‘As a genuine fan of the show, you can imagine my delight when I was asked to present the next series of The Great Pottery Throw Down,’ she said at the time.
‘Despite assuring them I have no idea what I’m doing, Keith, Rich and the team have welcomed me to the fold with open arms.’
Ms Ding, 28, founded Supper Ceramics in 2019, creating unique pieces for the dinner table in a studio in east London, where she lives with her partner Alex.
On her website she writes: ‘Most of my pieces are thrown on the wheel, an art that I think will keep me fascinated and constantly learning for years to come.’
Ms Ding has quite a following on s ocial media, with 1 43,000 subscribers on TikTok, where she shares video demonstrations at her potter’s wheel. Her 6,000 Instagram followers can see her modelling work, including for designers such as Giorgio Armani, Vivienne Westwood, Jaeger, Cos, Whistles and the lingerie brand Coco de Mer London.
Three years ago she took on a role as a strategy consultant in the live science and biotech field, but quit after discovering pottery 18 months ago and falling in love with the hobby.