The detail of Nevertheless She Persisted I: Hygeia with Snakes is derived from my stitched fabric relief depicting the ancient goddess Hygeia, the goddess of health. “In my design, I have tried to imagine the original painted colors that were used on these sculptures, and I have included the snake as her symbol of health. I chose this particular detail because it includes part of the figure, the drapery, and the snake, and I thought it would lend itself to alternative carpet making techniques. For the last two decades, I have been inspired by the ancient classical world and the remarkable representations of women of that period. Scarred and battered by the ravages of time, there is a particular vulnerability and dignity in these mythical personifications of idealism. With their severed limbs and battered breasts, these fragmented forms express a poetry of imperfection that is still poignantly human and relevant today.” – Marylin Pappas