Caroline Kern, AKA, Caroline Paquita (b. 1980, Miami, FL), is a multi-disciplinary artist currently living and working in NYC, NY. Her work revolves around Risograph publishing, printing, illustration, experimental video, machine tufting, and sewing. In 2021 she developed Long Covid and her art practice shifted significantly due to her condition. Kern’s work has progressively centered disability justice + advocacy in the face of the ongoing pandemic, in order to bring light to this mass disabling event and the post viral symptoms/conditions that she and millions others are experiencing.

Kern is also the sole proprietress of Pegacorn Press, which is a feminist, queer, “total-art-freaker,” publishing adventure. Founded in 2011 after self-publishing since 1996, Pegacorn Press uses Risograph stencil duplicators to produce titles. Kern purchased her first Risograph in 2009 and since then has collaborated with countless artists to produce publications, as well as other printed ephemera. These publications have been extensively exhibited, distributed, and collected nationally and internationally at art book fairs, in stores, and sold online. Titles can also be found in the institutional collections and special collections libraries worldwide.

From 2023-2024, Kern was a co-director of the Pittsburgh Art Book Fair (PABF) for the first two years of the fair. Along with four other co-directors and the team at the Carnegie Museum of Art, she helped develop and bring to life this new event to the Pittsburgh and tri-state community. In 2024, over 3,000 people visited PABF, which showcased over 70 international and national exhibitors over two days. She resigned after the second fair due to ongoing health concerns and wanting to get back behind the table again as an exhibitor.

Kern passionately believes in publishing as a form of art and is an active member of the international Risograph and art book community that has grown out of the Printed Matter Art Book Fairs. She regularly facilitates/is a panelist on panel discussions, is a juror, visiting artist at universities, does graduate level studio visits, and has done artist talks on not only her own art/publishing practice but on everything Risograph and small publishing. If you are interested in having her speak at your university or event, please reach out to her via her email: carolinepaquita (at) gmail.com