According to Greek mythology, Callisto was turned into a bear by a jealous goddess. Her child remained human and grew up among people. One day while out hunting, the child came upon Callisto. Callisto, forgetting she was a bear, ran towards her child in joy. The child, not recognizing the mother, took aim to kill her. Taking pity on the pair, Zeus turned the child into a bear and swept them both into the sky before the arrow landed. Callisto became the constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear), whose main stars form the Big Dipper. Her child is Ursa Minor (the Small Bear), also known as the Little Dipper.

This work represents a period of rumination on motherhood, the fear of bears and my roles as mother and daughter.