A man from Birmingham, England, who legally changed his name to King Of Ink Land King Body Art The Extreme Ink-ite, has shared photos showing what he looked like before committing to extensive body modifications. Previously known as Mathew Whelan, the 45-year-old began his transformation in 2008 and has since spent more than £40,000 on tattoos and procedures, investing over 1,600 hours into the process. His striking appearance has made him one of the UK’s most instantly recognizable tattoo enthusiasts.
Newly resurfaced images from his younger years highlight just how dramatically he has changed. At 18, he was clean-shaven and had no tattoos—nearly impossible to match with his current look. Another photo from when he was 16 shows him proudly displaying his first tattoo, a bulldog. That early piece of ink became the starting point for a far more extreme path, leading to choices such as tattooing his entire face, staining his eyes black, removing his nipples, and reshaping his ears.
Even as he has fully embraced this identity, King Of Ink Land says he now runs into issues with facial recognition technology, particularly on adult websites in the UK. He claims the systems fail to read his face correctly and instead flag him as if he is wearing a mask, which blocks access to services like live webcam chats. He views the problem as discriminatory, arguing that his face represents his “permanent identity” and should not be dismissed or treated as invalid.
In everyday life, he also deals with frequent social discomfort and judgment. On public transport, people often prefer standing to sitting near him. He has also grown accustomed to strangers taking photos without asking, and some of those moments have escalated into tense encounters. Together, these experiences underline the day-to-day difficulty of living with such a bold, unconventional appearance in a society that often struggles to accept visible difference.
More recently, King Of Ink Land has said he is putting further modifications on hold so he can focus on paying down his £66,000 mortgage. While he insists body art is a meaningful lifestyle choice rather than an addiction, he plans to slow his pace—potentially getting new tattoos only every other year. He has also said he intends to reverse some changes, including removing an implant in his hand, as part of a shift toward greater financial responsibility.