'Winter Bears' is one of a series of sculptures Koons produced for an exhibition entitled ‘Banality’ in 1988. The sculpture was fabricated by skilled craftsmen who employed the same techniques used to produce Rococo ceramics and Bavarian sculptural woodcarvings. The artist’s subject matter derived from everyday experience and drew upon cult images that are recognisable and comforting. Based upon a child’s miniature ornament, 'Winter Bears' is the most obviously sentimental of the series. However, with its highly polished surface, bold colours and oversized scale, the sculpture is also strangely overbearing, serving to challenge conventional preconceptions of style and taste.