Rebecca Reubens designs jewellery and furniture, and through these, sustainable production-to-consumption systems. She moves seamlessly between these genres because for her, it is simply a question of re-articulation of space and scale. The ear is her ceiling, and the shoulder her floor in the case of earrings. She believes that condensed artefacts like jewellery—where meters become millimetres—are all the more precious.
Rebecca argues that contemporary Indian design must find its own voice, and must be informed by its traditions and crafts. She believes culture must be dynamic to remain relevant, and not be relegated to museums with ‘do-not-touch’ signs. Rebecca’s jewellery brand Baka imbibes this philosophy, and offers artisanal vernacular contemporary pieces in silver, gemstones and found objects. Each of these pieces is handcrafted at her atelier in India.

Rebecca is an independent academic whose teaching and publications centre on sustainability, craft and design. She believes that most silos are porous including art and craft, theory and practice, and sculpture and jewellery. Her praxis informs everything she does, and keeps her rooted in unfolding reality. All of the work Rebecca does is informed by the belief that slow, mindful consumption which centers on future heirlooms to be passed down between generations is the way forward.

Rebecca Reubens’ jewellery brand Baka argues that sustainability is non-negotiable, and that mindful, slow consumption is the way forward. Each Baka piece is therefore envisaged as a future-heirloom to be passed down between generations, and is handcrafted in silver, gemstones and found objects at Rebecca’s atelier in India.
The conceptual underpinning of Rebecca’s work comes from her investigation of what should constitute contemporary Indian design. She argues that contemporary Indian design must have an original voice rooted in India’s rich culture and traditions. However, it cannot be hinged solely on creating variations of older pieces. Tradition cannot only reside in dusty museums with ‘do-not-touch signs. Instead, Rebecca insists it must be everywhere. She draws on themes of mythology and cultural capital to create pieces that keep tradition dynamic, accessible, and alive.
Rebecca studied jewellery design and furniture design in India. She moves seamlessly between these genres because for her, it is just a question of re-articulation of space and scale. She believes that condensed artefacts like jewellery—where meters become millimetres—are all the more precious.

All of her work is informed by her PhD in sustainable design from Delft University in the Netherlands.
Baka means ‘fool’ in Japanese, and is also Rebecca’s nickname. Rebecca founded Baka against the backdrop of the pandemic, with her hands already full with entrepreneurship, her academic pursuits and her family—sheer stupidity. It never occurred to Rebecca that she was biting off more than she could chew. She pulled it off because, ‘the fool did not know it was impossible’. She thinks blind optimism and hope (or sheer stupidity) is essential to believe that it is possible to change the world, and take baby steps in that direction.