Behind this Archibald Prize entry is a man who remains indefinitely detained

In this combined image, Malcolm Morton is pictured with his self-portrait, an entry in this year's Archibald Prize. (Supplied)

Painting his self-portrait, Malcolm Morton chose a rough swirl for the nose, a simple stripe for the frowning mouth. He made sure the eyes dominated — the whites dripping down the canvas from behind splodged black pupils.

"F***, look — that painting sings," says Al Bethune, Morton's former art therapist.