The True Meaning Of Matty Matheson's Many Tattoos

If nothing else, Matty Matheson is interesting. Often referred to as a "culinary bad boy," the Canadian chef is hard to miss — he's a big dude with an even bigger personality, but most notably he's covered head-to-toe in tattoos. He also has a pretty colorful history, according to The Guardian, though not necessarily one surprising to someone familiar with how tumultuous the life of a chef can get. As one might expect, the chef's personal struggles have provided a lot of inspiration for his plethora of tattoos.

The now-famed chef and social media icon (on Twitter and Instagram, Matheson radiates a positive energy quite similar to Lizzo) isn't shy about talking about his life or his ink, and though he has quite a few tattoos, there are definitely a couple that have more meaning than others. Even though Matheson doesn't love how all his tattoos look, the meaning behind them is worthwhile enough that he's opted to keep them around.

While a good amount of Matheson's tattoos are probably the result of liking a design or just wanting a new one, there are definitely a few that have greater or deeper meaning to the chef. One in particular contains the words "DEATH BROS" near the chef's thumb, which represents a near-death experience, specifically a heart attack that happened as a result of the heavy partying he did in his late twenties (via Body Art Guru).

Tattooino makes note that many of Matheson's tattoos are words or script, which is meaningful in itself, showing that the chef believes in the power of words. Per Body Art Guru, he has his son Macarthur's name tattooed on his chest, and his sister Sarah's name across a big red heart, also on his torso. Another pretty powerful tattoo the chef has are the letters "D-S-O-L," which is yet another testament to his near-death experience but more importantly, his renewed outlook on life. According to SBS, the letters stand for "Dead Set on Life," which is also the name of the chef's successful culinary travel show. The show is also a wonderful way to see Matheson's big, positive energy. Here's hoping he continues to get more ink and give us the jolly energy we need and deserve.