By Lee Xin En

For the second year in a row, a series of photographs has won the United Overseas Bank (UOB) Painting Of The Year competition.

The photographs are part of visual artist Zhao Renhui's series entitled Space In Between and were chosen from 1,047 submissions.

The three pictures depict separately the outline of a human figure in a camouflaged cloak, an austere mouse trap and a lifeless sparrow.

Last year's winning entry by Nanyang Technological University undergraduate Joel Yuen, 26, graphically depicted in photos, animal organs such as a pig's tongue, heart and stomach, turned inside-out.

Mr Zhao, 26, said that he posed to himself the question of whether studying animals using science truly brings humans closer to nature.

For instance, he was fascinated by mouse traps which are the result of research on animal habits, suggesting to him that science is sometimes not used in beneficial ways.

Other than winning $30,000 and a trophy, Mr Zhao will notch a first: He is the first recipient of the prize to attend the prestigious one-month Residence Programme at Fukuoka Asian Art Museum in Japan.

Part of UOB's new three-year partnership with the museum, it gives outstanding local artists a regional platform to showcase their works.

Mr Koichi Yasunaga, the museum's adviser and one of this year's five judges, said the photography entries were stronger than the painting submissions.

Mr Kwok Kian Chow, director of the National Art Gallery of Singapore and the chief judge, was keen to stress that 'it is not a competition between photography and painting', but that 'photography is particularly strong this year'.

He added: 'As long as this remains a two-dimensional image- making competition, I'm fine with 'Painting of the Year' because painting has a long history and there are a lot more possibilities in painting.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.