A man described his experience of having tattoos inked directly onto his eyeballs.
Over the years, tattoos have surged in popularity, with more individuals choosing to get inked as societal stigma around them diminishes across various countries.
Some prefer subtle designs, like a discreet ankle tattoo or a larger arm piece that can easily be hidden with clothing if necessary.
There are those who embrace more daring choices, such as full sleeve tattoos or even facial ones.
However, as with many trends, some individuals push the boundaries to the extreme. Among them is a man once known as Mathew Whelan, who eventually changed his name to reflect his passion for getting tattoos all over his body.
He now uses the name ‘King of Ink Land King Body Art The Extreme Ink-ite’, though he typically goes by ‘Body Art’ as it is more manageable in everyday life.
Body Art has invested over £40,000 ($52,000) and 1,600 hours into being tattooed, claiming to have had as many as 32 artists working on him simultaneously.
His body is covered in tattoos, including his face, leaving very little un-inked skin besides the areas immediately around his eyes, on his lips, and on his ears.
Remarkably, he shared that he got his first tattoo before reaching the legal age to do so.
“The very first seconds of breaking the skin I knew in my head at the age of nine I wanted artwork on my body, probably not to the extent that I’m covered,” he said on This Morning. “I was actually 16, two years to the legal age of being tattooed.”
He added: “I’m still the same person, just older, and more colorful.”
Yet, even for the most ardent tattoo enthusiasts, there was one area considered extreme.
This was having tattoos applied directly to his eyeballs to deepen the color around his iris and pupil.
“It’s with a syringe, and they pierce the muscle tissue in the eyeball,” he explained. “Your optical nerve is not in the eyeball, so it’s not painful, just dangerous.”
He noted that no anesthetic is used during the procedure and mentioned: “You’ve got to be a statue or a gargoyle and not twitch, because it can be different, between losing your sight.”
When asked about his motivation, Body Art stated: “One of my favorite animals is an orangutan, and if you know monkeys and orangutan their eyes are black.”
He concluded: “It’s become a lifestyle for me, not an addiction.”