A man from Birmingham, England, who officially changed his name to King Of Ink Land King Body Art The Extreme Ink-ite, has published photos showing what he looked like before undergoing extensive body modifications. Formerly known as Matthew Whelan, the 45-year-old began his transformation in 2008 and has since spent more than £40,000 on tattoos and modifications, dedicating a total of more than 1,600 hours to the process. His impressive changes in appearance have made him one of the most recognisable tattoo enthusiasts in the UK.
Recently published photos from his youth show the scale of this metamorphosis. At 18, he was clean-shaven and had no tattoos — today he looks completely different. In a photo taken when he was 16, he proudly shows off his first tattoo — an image of a bulldog. It was this design that marked the beginning of his journey towards extreme modifications, including, among other things, a full-face tattoo, darkening of the whites of his eyes, removal of his nipples and reshaping of his ears.
Although he has fully embraced his unusual identity, King Of Ink Land is currently facing problems related to facial recognition technology, especially on British adult websites. According to him, the systems cannot correctly identify him, mistaking his appearance for a mask, which results in him being denied access to services such as live video chats. The man considers this a form of discrimination, emphasising that his face is his ‘permanent identity’ and should not be ignored.
He also faces daily reactions from society, often full of condemnation or hostility. On public transport, people prefer to stand rather than sit next to him. Sometimes strangers take photos of him without permission, which sometimes leads to tense situations. Such experiences show how difficult it is to function with such a bold and unconventional appearance in a world that still struggles to accept difference.
King Of Ink Land recently announced that he is putting further modifications on hold to focus on paying off his £66,000 mortgage. Although he still considers body art an important part of his lifestyle rather than an addiction, he intends to slow down a bit — planning to add new tattoos no more than once every two years. He also announced that he would be removing some modifications, including an implant in his arm, as part of a new, more financially sensible phase of his life.
