text: He has spent more than £40,000 on tattoos and body modifications in a bid to 'be the person I want to be' but Matthew Whelan, 35, from Birmingham, says his unusual looks have made it difficult to find work. Thanks to workplace discrimination, he claims, he has been forced to go it alone and is now planning to set up his own business. Mr Whelan, who officially changed his name to King of Inkland King Body Art The Extreme Ink-ite but goes by Body Art for short, has covered every inch of his body in elaborate inkings. Discrimination: Mr Body Art says prejudice against people with body modifications has affected his career . 'I've got my face covered in tattoos, I've got various animals and I've got a giant snake on top of my head,' he explains. 'My eyeballs are stained, it's also known as an eyeball tattoo. I've got pirates on me, aliens on me and I've got a blue penis. My penis is blue.' He also had his nipples cut off six months ago in a bid to provide himself with a smoother canvas and keeps the discarded body parts in his freezer 'next to my sprouts'. For all that though, Mr Body Art says employers should take him seriously and look beyond his personal appearance to what's inside. 'I personally find it really difficult to get my head around it because there are companies out there that employ people on merit,' he fumes. Legal: Mr Body Art shows off a passport emblazoned with his unusual self-chosen name . Official: Letters arrive addressed to King of Inkland King Body Art The Extreme Ink-ite - Body Art for short . 'There are [body] modified friendly companies. But the majority are like: "Look at these people! You look different from everyone in our office. You're different. You don't fit our criteria. We're not employing you." That's frustrating.' Now Mr Body Art is planning to solve the problem by striking out on his own and has begun making preparations for his new career by attending business seminars in his home city. His spare time is being spent helping the local branch of the Liberal Democrats campaign ahead of the election, although he admits that people often wish to talk about his body modifications rather than Lib Dem policies. 'Dealing with people shouldn't be a challenge,' he adds. 'Is that right? No, it's not. It's a blatant form of discrimination. Blank canvas: Mr Body Art shows off his nipples - they were removed to give him a smoother canvas . Covered: Mr Body Art's £40,000 tattoo collection covers him, quite literally, from head to toe . Striking out: Mr Body Art, seen here at a business conference, plans to set up a company of his own . 'I'm not after sympathy of any kind. Most modified people aren't. I'd just like to be given a chance.' Mr Body Art, who appears on a Channel 5 documentary entitled 2,000 Tattoos, 40 Piercings and a Pickled Ear tonight, hasn't always had the acceptance he craves - even within his own family. His father Patrick has found his son's penchant for inking particularly hard to come to terms with and worries it might frustrate his plans for business success. 'I've never understood it and he knows I've never understood it,' he says. 'I can't come to terms with it. But I've accepted it. 'I'm not happy with it. I'd love him to be the son that I knew but he has chosen his own way of life.' Mr Whelan Sr says he finds his son's name change particularly hard to accept and wants to continue calling him Matthew as he always has. Mr Body Art, however, has different ideas. 'I legally changed [my name], I abandoned [the old one] and I've got a new name so call me by that,' he insists. 'We don't really talk about my tattoos but when it does crop up, it can get passionate,' adds Mr Body Art. 'But I believe in my tattoos. I am who I am.'
target: Matthew Whelan, 35, from Birmingham has spent £40,000 on tattoos .
  He changed his name to King of Inkland King Body Art The Extreme Ink-ite .
  Says prejudice about body modification has stopped him finding work .
  Plans to start his own business but worries he won't be taken seriously .
  Spends his time campaigning for his local Liberal Democrat MP .
  Mr Body Art appears on 2,000 Tattoos, 40 Piercings and a Pickled Ear, tonight at 10pm on Channel 5 .