Nottingham City Council previously said the artwork was also part of a commitment to address the “under-representation” of women in public sculpture in the UK.
Research published in 2018 found that of 828 statues recorded by the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association, just 174 of them were female. Of these, 80 were of named women.
“I just think it’s fantastic that this is a sculpture of a woman and made by a woman. I do think it’s a positive thing,” Biala said.
Tom Huggon, a retired lawyer and campaigner for green spaces, attended the unveiling on Friday.
“It’s brilliant because it combines not only the figure of Maid Marian but also all the greenery. It’s so delicate too,” Huggon said.
Huggon, who is also Nottingham’s official honorary Town Crier, added: “One of the difficulties is that Robin Hood has always been regarded as the dominant personality of the two.
“But there are so many different legends, you know, who was Maid Marian? But here she is commemorated.”
Arts charity BACKLIT, which worked closely with Biala, has also launched an exhibition called ‘Our Marian’ at its gallery near Sneinton Market in Nottingham.