#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
void no()
{
    cout << "No" << "\n";
    exit(0);
}
const int N = 1e3 + 5;
int ans[N][N];
void Work(int l, int r)
{
    for (int i = l; i <= r - 1; i++)
        ans[l][i] = 1, ans[i][r] = 2;
    for (int i = l + 1; i <= r; i++)
        ans[r][i] = 3, ans[i][l] = 4;
    if (r - l + 1 == 3)
        return;
    for (int i = l + 2; i < r; i += 2)
    {
        ans[i][r - 1] = 1, ans[r - 1][i] = 2, ans[i][l + 1] = 3, ans[l + 1][i] = 4;
    }
    if (r - l + 1 == 5)
        return;
    for (int i = l + 3; i < r - 1; i += 2)
        ans[i][l + 2] = 1, ans[l + 2][i] = 2, ans[i][r - 2] = 3, ans[r - 2][i] = 4;
    Work(l + 3, r - 3);
}
void Solve()
{
    int n, m;
    cin >> n >> m;
    if (n == 2 && m == 2)
    {
        cout << "Yes\n";
        cout << "<^\n";
        cout << "v>\n";
        return;
    }
    if (n != m || (n % 6 != 3 && n % 6 != 5))
        no();
    cout << "Yes\n";
    Work(1, n);
    char op[5] = {'.', '<', '^', '>', 'v'};
    for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++)
    {
        for (int j = 1; j <= n; j++)
            cout << op[ans[i][j]];
        cout << "\n";
    }
}
int main()
{
    Solve();
    return 0;
}