Prabhakar Kolte was a one of the prominent figure in the realm of Indian Abstract Expressionism, a modern art movement that blossomed in India during the mid-20th century. This artistic movement is characterized by the use of non-representational forms and an empathetic approach to expression.
Kolte, as an artist, dedicated himself to crafting a visual language that transcended the confines of symbolic representation and delved into the profound realms of human experience. His influence places him among the international high modernists who were pivotal in breaking free from the figurative gravitational pull in the world of art.
In an age where expression was more important than means, in a generation that was preoccupied with the human figure, Kolte realised with humility that the figurative world did not meet his needs. He wanted  a journey that expressed his world and experiences,  a journey that would mirror the surfaces he loved to  reflect, surfaces that were expansive and pushed outward  in all directions, or surfaces that contracted and cohered  inward. Between these two poles he slowly found he had everything he wanted to say. 
As an artist Kolte regarded point and line to plane as the “organic continuation” of ideas he had addressed in his earlier works. Drawing elements from his own observations and experimentations on the relationships between form and colour, as well as his extensive readings of perceptual poetry and literature both in Marathi and English, and artistic theory from the twentieth and twenty first centuries Kolte descended into his own practice. 
Playing with the geometry of different colour fields in the 80’s and 90’s he explored the relationships between planes; he produced complex and powerful combinations of independent fields and lines during this period, illustrating the manner in which their internal forces and individual characters interacted with one another in different combinations. In this way, Kolte showed the viewer the myriad ways in which a simplified singular vocabulary could be varied and modulated to create ever more  interesting and intriguing visual dynamics.

Kolte’s early abstract works displayed a remarkable ability to create a strong sense of tension and dynamism between independent yet interconnected colour fields and slender longitudinal light shafts. He achieved this by combining fluid geometric shapes with delicately variegated colour fields and dense surface effects. In one of his compositions, he skillfully combined sweeping colour fields connected by delicate vertical lines, ultimately forming an almost rectangular shape filled with gradually shifting hues. As the colours intersected and overlapped in increasingly intricate ways, a central form gave rise to a rectangular panel that was further divided into various compartments. Each of these components subtly interacted with the others, producing a dynamic abstract composition that exuded vitality and internal movement, engaging the viewer with its ever-evolving visual tension.
Kolte creates low relief by using the depth of his colour fields. Despite their vibrant colours, the paintings are almost equally flat. These pieces have a certain assurance because to the lean lines and staccato strokes. They are also straightforward facts, but because they were conjured by the mind, they serve as one of the arguments for adding a new dimension to the area provided by a single sheet of paper. 

With the minimal minimum of tools, Kolte articulates the forms into a descriptive spatial unity by inserting a nearly continuous febrile line between some colour fields.  During this time, Kolte’s sinuous lines between areas, like a streak of light, are unparalleled. Although his admiration for artists like Picasso, Braque, and Paul Klee may have served as an initial inspiration for such abstract linearity, Kolte eventually established a clear, looping style that was all his own.

Kolte’s aesthetic was deeply rooted in classicism, characterized by the exquisite simplicity of shapes, meticulously choreographed composition, and subdued colour palettes. Throughout his life, he drew inspiration from the symbolism of atmospherics and nature. In his own words from 1993, he stated, “Nature first made, then gazed, in my opinion. Because of this, I too have long been driven by the same natural inclination to paint first and see later rather than the reverse.” This profound connection with nature and atmosphere permeated his art, shaping his unique artistic voice.
To contemplate Kolte’s canvases is to be immersed in a realm of unveiled human emotions within the prism of human experience. He skillfully manipulated colour and light, weaving them together to create Zen-like riddles that speak of expansive vistas filled with colour-drenched rectangles. The dynamism of collaboration and context played a pivotal role in his works, often defined by the nature of the shaded edges of his coloured frames and the distinctive “personality” they imparted to the overall composition.
In a 2006 interview, Kolte remarked, “In a way, my works are incredibly perfect, yet there is a shadow, a play, in that exactitude…The boundaries of my colour fields are being weighed in order to add a more minor play element…For me, colour is a creative space with limitless potential. I paint in an abstract style out of choice, experience, and emotion.” Through his many works over the years, Kolte ensured that his paintings were not mere banal studies of formal rules; they were intense, personal reflections on the boundless possibilities of artistic creation. His art invites viewers to explore the depths of his individual sensibility over five decades and to consider the spatial dynamics, sensitivity in observation, and incisiveness in the choice of materials and mediums, be it canvases, paper, acrylics, oils, or watercolours.
The significance of Kolte’s works in the aesthetic discourse of Modern Indian Art, alongside the figurative expressions of his contemporaries, must be viewed within a broader historical context. His art paved the way for several contemporary Indian artists to break free from dominant figurative language and embrace high modernist abstraction. Achieving national recognition across various schools and artistic movements is no small feat for non-figurative artists. In recent times, Kolte’s isolated artistic journey has received well-deserved recognition within the realms of galleries, museums, and auction circuits, further solidifying his place in the annals of art history.

Later, he spent 20 years as a professor at Mumbai’s Sir J.J. School of Art. He achieved a Gold medal from the Bombay Art Society  Had an exhibition at the Indo-German Cultural Society in Mumbai and received the “Walter Langhammer Award” from that organization in 1978. Kolte also received an Indian government research scholarship from 1982 to 1984, as well as a British Council visitor ship to England in 1986. In 2010, the Bombay Art Society honoured him with the “Kavi Kusuma Raj Award” and the “Rupdhar – Award” for his contributions to the painting medium. Awarded “Doctorate” for his contribution in the field of art, by Gwalior University, in 2015. New Delhi will host the “Loknayak Jayprakash International Award” in 2020.