The Spanish star has been a keen photographer for years but never considered putting his images on display until the suggestion arose during discussions for the promotion of his new men’s fragrance, The Secret.
Company bosses at perfume house PUIG convinced Banderas to go public with his shots of varying aspects of Spanish culture, emphasising women’s powers of seduction, and he launched the Secrets on Black collection at Instituto Cervantes in Manhattan on Wednesday (12May10).
PUIG executives even decided to base the name and packaging of The Secret on one of the actor’s own photos – titled in Spanish El Secreto. The picture of a woman snapped through a keyhole also doubles up as one of the cologne’s official promo shots.
And Banderas is making sure he’s doing his bit for charity – he’s donated seven of the 23 images to U.S. auction company Charity Buzz to put under the hammer.
All proceeds from the sale of the snaps, which are currently on the auction block, will benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, a cause the star has been championing for the past five years.
The travelling Secrets on Black exhibition will go on display in galleries across the world throughout 2010.
