Aldo ‘Valgorth’ Requena is an Argentine artist. Many of his works deal with a dark subject-matter. He is also known for his association with the metal music scene. With over a hundred designs published worldwide, his artwork has featured on albums, books, apparel, posters advertising and film. He is the artificer of the art & texts used on the Necronomicon book for the Argentine movie NECRONOMICON. Requena runs Hammerblaze, a graphic design company which has done works for a variety of metal artists and labels of all calibers; from all around the globe.
In 2017, Aldo Requena created artwork and texts based on authentic invocations in Latin for the "Necronomicon" grimoire used in the Argentine movie “NECRONOMICON” produced by BARAKACINE. In 2016, he was invited to paint his vision of the creature "The Thing" for an art book commemorating the 35th anniversary of John Carpenter's cinematic horror masterpiece "THE THING". This volume was released at San Diego Comic Con by Printed In Blood. In 2018, he was again summoned by Printed In Blood to create an illustration for the book Stranger Things "Visions from the Upside Down" from Del Rey Books & Netflix. This volume was released at San Diego Comic Con by Printed In Blood. He created concept art for a story depicting the life of Scottish folk hero William Wallace. This project was for author and fight director Seoras Wallace (BRAVEHEART, GLADIATOR films), to be presented as referential art for a TV series project in the UK. www.seoraswallace.com
Since 2008, he runs HAMMERBLAZE a graphic design company for the extreme music and publishing industries. Aldo Requena has spearheaded diverse works for bands, musicians and labels (LOST HORIZON, SKILTRON, WIZARD, DAVID SHANKLE (former MANOWAR), BLACK MAJESTY, FEANOR, HOLYHELL, PARAGON, IN-DEFILADE, WACKEN METAL BATTLE, MASSACRE RECORDS, REMEDY RECORDS, VIC RECORDS and many more).
“I believe that a creative mind must stand outside the system and strongly reject all norms from the status-quo. That's the core of my work. Creativity Against The Norms.” — Valgorth
Valgorth points out that ― “An artist that claims to produce Dark Art must always have a sense of spiritual rebellion against the norms of society, and nothing but willpower and ambition as the highest priorities in their art and concept, as well as in their personal lives.
He specifies, ― “The purpose of ‘norms’ are to provide a stable and predictable social world, to regulate our behavior with the established order. But stability and predictability are enemies of the creative process. The essence of art is disobedience. The only system to transcend the limits of one’s self is by maximum personal effort and eradicating the regulations that oppress our will. Most of us struggle with personal crisis, but we must find personal strength in critical times. Thus, accepting that genuine creativity originates through chaos, I rise from my ruins to create and destroy alike. My solitude and isolation are catalysts for deep reflection and self-awareness. I devoted myself to study the movements of the dark.”
“Creativity Against The Norms” is my artistic war cry in opposition to the status-quo. It’s a representation of the creative force within and the fight of Art to prevail against the doctrines and moral codes of society (The Norm). The darkness in my work will not relate to everybody, but it will certainly communicate an emotional impact and interest in those who seek to escape from the cryptic frontiers of reality.”
Many clients and partners are located in WALES, UNITED STATES, SWEDEN, SCOTLAND, NORWAY, GERMANY, ENGLAND, CANADA, AUSTRALIA y ARGENTINA.
Valgorth has spearheaded diverse operations in conspiracy with: Ancestral Tunes Records · Against The Plagues · Black Majesty · Blacksmith · Cataclysmical Maelstrom · Cellador · Clamando Venganza · Clan Wallace · Dark Shift · Deströyer 666 · Dolmen · Enthrall · Farseer · Faustcoven · Feanor · FlashBack 2029 · Heathen Alliance Festival · HolyHell · In-Defilade · Interceptor · Jaggernaut · Kingdom · Legendary Kingdoms · Lost Horizon · Luciferion · Lyra · Mandoble · Martin Walkyier · Maximal Collision · Metal Forces Magazine · Metal.com · Metalica Zine · Metal-Rules.com · Montreal · Omega’s Apple · Outer Beyond · Paragon · Quemando Cromo · Remedy Records · Running Wild (ReUnation) · Samsarra · Secret Port Records · Shackles · Sinterra · Skiltron · Skull & Bones · Sonic Prophecy · Splintered World · Tengwar · Vesperian Sorrow · Vic Records · Victimario · Vorgrum · Wacken Metal Battle Argentina.
