#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <cmath>
#include<algorithm>
#include<stack>
#include<queue>
#include<map>
#include<set>
#include<iomanip>
#define _USE_MATH_DEFINES
#include <math.h>
#include <functional>
#include<complex>
using namespace std;

#define rep(i,x) for(ll i=0;i<x;i++)
#define repn(i,x) for(ll i=1;i<=x;i++)

typedef long long ll;
const ll INF = 1e17;
const ll MOD = 998244353;
const ll MAX = 4000001;
const long double eps = 1E-14;

ll max(ll a, ll b) {
	if (a > b) { return a; }
	return b;
}

ll min(ll a, ll b) {
	if (a > b) { return b; }
	return a;
}

ll gcd(ll a, ll b) {
	if (b == 0) { return a; }
	if (a < b) { return gcd(b, a); }
	return gcd(b, a % b);
}

ll lcm(ll a, ll b) {
	return a / gcd(a, b) * b;
}

struct edge {
	ll ind;
	ll fr;
	ll to;
	ll d;
};

class mint {
	long long x;
public:
	mint(long long x = 0) : x((x% MOD + MOD) % MOD) {}
	mint operator-() const {
		return mint(-x);
	}
	mint& operator+=(const mint& a) {
		if ((x += a.x) >= MOD) x -= MOD;
		return *this;
	}
	mint& operator-=(const mint& a) {
		if ((x += MOD - a.x) >= MOD) x -= MOD;
		return *this;
	}
	mint& operator*=(const  mint& a) {
		(x *= a.x) %= MOD;
		return *this;
	}
	mint operator+(const mint& a) const {
		mint res(*this);
		return res += a;
	}
	mint operator-(const mint& a) const {
		mint res(*this);
		return res -= a;
	}
	mint operator*(const mint& a) const {
		mint res(*this);
		return res *= a;
	}

	mint pow(ll t) const {
		if (!t) return 1;
		mint a = pow(t >> 1);
		a *= a;
		if (t & 1) a *= *this;
		return a;
	}

	// for prime MOD
	mint inv() const {
		return pow(MOD - 2);
	}
	mint& operator/=(const mint& a) {
		return (*this) *= a.inv();
	}
	mint operator/(const mint& a) const {
		mint res(*this);
		return res /= a;
	}

	friend ostream& operator<<(ostream& os, const mint& m) {
		os << m.x;
		return os;
	}
};

mint pw(mint a, ll b) {
	if (b == 0) { return 1; }
	mint ret = pw(a, b >> 1);
	ret *= ret;
	if (b & 1) { ret *= a; }
	return ret;
}

typedef vector<ll> vll;
typedef vector<vector<ll>> vvll;
typedef vector<vector<vector<ll>>> vvvll;

typedef vector<mint> vmint;
typedef vector<vector<mint>> vvmint;
typedef vector<vector<vector<mint>>> vvvmint;

//////////////////////////////////////

pair<bool,vector<vector<char>>> nuri(ll N, ll M, ll A, ll B, bool b) {
	vector<vector<char>> ans(N + 1, vector<char>(M + 1, '.'));

	ll x = A;
	ll y = B;

	if (N % 2 == 1) {
		repn(j, M / 2) {
			if (b && 2 * j + 1 == M) { continue; }
			if (x >= 1) {
				ans[N][2 * j - 1] = '<';
				ans[N][2 * j] = '>';
				x--;
			}
		}
		//repn(k, N) {
		//	repn(l, M)cout << ans[k][l];
		//	cout << endl;
		//}
		//cout << endl;
	}

	if (M % 2 == 1) {
		repn(i, N / 2) {
			if (b && 2 * i + 1 == N) { continue; }
			if (y >= 1) {
				ans[2 * i - 1][M] = '^';
				ans[2 * i][M] = 'v';
				y--;
			}
		}
	}

	repn(i, N / 2)repn(j, M / 2) {
		if (b&&2 * i + 1 == N && 2 * j + 1 == M) {
			continue;
		}

		if (x>=y) {
			if (x >= 1) {
				ans[2 * i - 1][2 * j - 1] = '<';
				ans[2 * i - 1][2 * j] = '>';
				x--;
			}
			if (x >= 1) {
				ans[2 * i][2 * j - 1] = '<';
				ans[2 * i][2 * j] = '>';
				x--;
			}
		}

		else {
			if (y >= 1) {
				ans[2 * i - 1][2 * j - 1] = '^';
				ans[2 * i][2 * j - 1] = 'v';
				y--;
			}
			if (y >= 1) {
				ans[2 * i - 1][2 * j] = '^';
				ans[2 * i][2 * j] = 'v';
				y--;
			}
		}

		//repn(k, N) {
		//	repn(l, M)cout << ans[k][l];
		//	cout << endl;
		//}
		//cout << x << " " << y << endl;
		//cout << endl;
	}

	

	if (!b) {
		if (x > 0 || y > 0) { return{ 0,ans }; }
		return {1,ans};
	}

	if (x >= 3 || y >= 3) { return nuri(N, M, A, B, 0); }

	if (N % 2 == 1 && M % 2 == 1) {
		if (y >= 1) { ans[N - 2][M - 2] = '^'; ans[N - 1][M - 2] = 'v'; y -= 1; }
		if (y >= 1) { ans[N - 1][M] = '^'; ans[N][M] = 'v';y -= 1; }
		if (x >= 1) { ans[N - 2][M - 1] = '<'; ans[N - 2][M] = '>'; x -= 1; }
		if (x >= 1) { ans[N][M - 2] = '<'; ans[N][M - 1] = '>'; x -= 1; }
	}

	if (x > 0 || y > 0) { return { 0,ans }; }
	else { return { 1,ans }; }

}

int main() {

	ll N, M, A, B;
	cin >> N >> M >> A >> B;

	
	
	auto c = nuri(N, M, A, B, 0);
	if (N > 1 && M > 1) { c=nuri(N, M, A, B, 1); }
	
	if (c.first == 0) { cout << "NO" << endl; return 0; }
	cout << "YES" << endl;

	repn(i, N) {
		repn(j, M) {
			cout << c.second[i][j];
		}
		cout << endl;
	}
	
}

Measured memory_bytes: 7268