MEET Britain’s most tattooed man – he’s blown more than £20,000 on them
including one on his EYEBALL.
Barmy Mathew Whelan loves tats so much he’s even legally changed his name to
’Body Art’.
And the 33-year-old former wrestler, from Birmingham, says when he dies he
wants to leave his body to a museum.
He said: “I’ve got so much respect for the history of body modification.
“It’s an art and a culture and when a group of kids stare at me, I’ll talk to
them and explain the history of it.
“People who do what I do treat their body like a temple. Like Christian’s have
Jesus, we have our bodies.
“I’m fully aware of the risks involved. For my eyeball, I went to the
opticians beforehand and got several opinions.
“When I die I want to leave my body to a museum or a member of my family.
“There’s someone in Canada who has already asked if he can have my skull to
use as a paint pot.”
Body Art first wanted a tattoo aged nine after seeing his Dad’s and Uncle’s.
But it wasn’t until he was 16 that he got his first – a British Bulldog with a
blank scroll.
He’s now set up a non-profit organisation called Modify to help people with
body modifications get jobs.
Body Art – who volunteers for the Liberal Democrats in his spare time – added:
“I don’t see why someone should be discriminated against just because of the
way they look, so I want to help those people as much as I can to find
employment.”