One of the many facets of Title Sponsor Sony Group Corporation's creative media, entertainment, and technology focus is showcasing local talent. Mae Waite, a Honolulu-based independent artist and illustrator was selected to design the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii Official Poster and Program Guide cover art. Inspired by vintage travel posters and sports pictorials that illustrated an athlete in motion, Waite artfully captured 2023 champion Si Woo Kim’s swing Hawaii-style in her work titled “Gust of Energy”(shown below).
Waite says that she wanted the design to be fun. “I created about five or six different sketches for review, and the one Sony selected was the winning sketch and one of my favorites. I also wanted to incorporate tropical themes as Hawaii is a special place. There’s so much power behind Si Woo Kim’s swing that it would have been a missed opportunity not to capture it!”
Growing up all over the world, Waite’s military family was stationed in Hawaii when she was transitioning from middle school to high school. “Those were the most influential years that shaped my art, since it allowed me to grow a love for the islands,” she said. “I later graduated from high school in Washington state and found my way back here for college.” Waite earned a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Arts from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
When asked what she does to continue to grow and innovate as an artist, Waite shared, “Practice, practice, practice. No artist is born great, and I wasn’t an exception. I was and still am very curious about creating, which drives me to be better.”