Malene Bach creates symphonies of color. She uses paint in audacious but measured doses, in meaningful places and studied hues. The effect is thrilling.

Bach’s portfolio reflects an eclectic career dominated by a sense of fun: She has painted on canvas and grainy wood, but also masterminded a contemporary reinterpretation of a Romanesque church, outdoor sculptures, an indoor swimming pool, installations, ornamentation and videos. Her work is deceptively simple: What you see are bold shapes and pigment, but what you feel is energy.

You work in so many mediums. Which was your starting point?
My father is a painter, so I’ve been working with paint since I was a kid. But after my studies, I started to get more interested in the relationship between color and space. I worked more and mor...