Samuel Dohmen’s tattoos drew attention during his appearance on Germany’s Next Topmodel. In a BLICK interview, he ties several designs to a 2019 knife attack, his family and animals he feels are often misjudged. The report describes a Latin chest phrase, a Mike Tyson quotation on his abdomen, snakes, butterflies, a “Familie” tattoo and a scorpion heart.

BLICK’s close-up photos show individual pieces, while a separate Joyn portrait shows Dohmen’s face, neck, chest and arms together. The interview supplies his explanations; the images establish how the tattoos are placed.

The chest lettering marks the tattoo history’s turning point

The Latin phrase on Dohmen’s chest reads “Mors certa, hora incerta,” which BLICK translates as “Death is certain, the hour is uncertain.” He says he got it after a 2019 knife attack that left him seriously injured and needing emergency operations. The experience made him think about how suddenly life can change.

The lettering sits above an octopus tattoo. Dohmen says the phrase reminds him that life is valuable because no one knows when it will end. The narrow text and the illustrated tentacles share the chest, but each remains a separate design.

The abdomen carries a Mike Tyson quotation

On the left side of his abdomen, Dohmen has the Mike Tyson quote “When you’re favoured by god, you’re also favoured by the devil.” BLICK reports that he found the boxer’s words inspiring and connects them to the same period after the attack, when he wondered why it had happened to him. He describes the line as a reminder that good and bad can arrive together.

The large snake turns animal imagery into self-description

A large snake runs along Dohmen’s arm, with more snakes across his back. He told BLICK that he was born in the Year of the Snake and has always been struck by how people judge the animal as poisonous or deceitful. He sees snakes as ordinary animals, no different in that respect from cats or dogs.

The arm snake follows the limb in a long curve, unlike the compact phrases on Dohmen’s torso. BLICK’s close-ups show its coils and scales; the Joyn portrait places the work within the larger arm coverage.

Dohmen also says his tattoos can make him look arrogant at first, though people who know him find him friendly and sympathetic. He connects that first impression to the way strangers judge snakes by their appearance.

The butterfly tattoos preserve a family memory near the ear

Near his right ear, several butterflies recall a deceased family member. Dohmen remembers that person in a garden full of flowers and butterflies, an image he described to BLICK. The small designs sit beside his face and remain visible in portraits even when his body is covered.

“Familie” and the scorpion heart connect the back to family

On the right side of his upper back, a woman’s head has the Tibetan word “Familie” written across her forehead. Dohmen says his mother and brother shared the tattoo with him and that it was his first. The design joins a portrait with the family word they chose together.

At the back of his head, scorpions form a heart. Dohmen says they stand for him and his brother: his brother is a Scorpio, and Dohmen considers himself a Scorpio in his ascendant. He describes his brother as strong and important to him.

The full view shows how the pieces meet on Dohmen

The Joyn portrait shows Dohmen face-on in a light tank top, with the neck, chest, shoulders and arms exposed. The snake makes a long curve along the arm, while the chest combines lettering and the octopus. BLICK’s close-ups identify individual motifs that are harder to separate in the full view.

The documented meanings stay tied to Dohmen’s own account

BLICK reports Dohmen’s own explanations for the Latin phrase, Tyson quote, snakes and family pieces. Joyn and Promiflash add portraits and context for his changing tattooed appearance. Where the interview doesn’t explain a mark, the photographs support a description of its shape and placement, not a guessed meaning.

Samuel Dohmen’s record forms a visual autobiography

Dohmen connects the tattoos to specific experiences, people and ways others see him. The words on his chest and abdomen follow the knife attack; the animals carry his own associations; the family designs remember people close to him.

Sources: BLICK: Samuel Dohmen explains the meaning behind his tattoos; Joyn: Kandidat Samuel im Porträt; Promiflash: Samuel Dohmen discusses his evolving tattooed appearance.